Broken But Not Destroyed

Ahmed (name changed) lives in a sleepy little village in the south of Syria, not far from the Golan Heights and the border with Jordan. Several years ago, the village of Kharaba was not so sleepy. A Syrian rebel group from a town not far away, invaded the mostly Christian community to plunder its people. This began a reign of terror on all of its residents. Some were confronted at gunpoint within their own homes. Horrific things happened. People were killed. Ahmed’s brother was kidnapped and a ransom demanded. Not being one prone to resignation, Ahmed captured a rebel fighter and successfully negotiated a prisoner swap to get his brother back. How about that for resourcefulness? You can probably guess what happened next. The rebel group came to Ahmed’s house and started a gunfight. When Ahmed realized that he was outgunned, he made a dash out the back and ran for it. Ahmed lives today to tell the story.

Not your basic story for most of us. But it is shockingly familiar for many who have lived through the civil war in Syria. Tales of struggle and hardship abound. Kharaba’s inhabitants fled from the town en masse and lived as refugees in the neighboring town of Suwayda. This town, dominated by Druze Muslims, welcomed them. They lived there for 6-7 years, unable or too afraid to return to their destroyed homes in Kharaba.

It is terribly prophetic that Kharaba means “destroyed” in Arabic. In Persian, a language more familiar to me, a similar word is pronounced “kharob” and has the slightly different meaning of “broken.” As I was hearing the stories from the people of Kharaba, I could not help but think that “broken” is a better description of the town, not “destroyed''. As we toured the village, we saw quite a few houses, once destroyed, now repaired and happily lived in. If you only saw the repaired houses, you might think that nothing ever happened. But the truth is, there remains a brokenness within these people, scars on their houses and in their hearts. They have been through a horrific trial and for the most part lived to tell the story. They are not destroyed, but they are broken. Pastor Salim courageously returned to the village last year and rebuilt the church he pastors. This gave many others the courage to return and rebuild. The church is having a major impact in restoring life to the town. Pastor Salim lovingly shepherds these wounded people. I had the privilege of meeting with them, singing with them and praying with them. They were so grateful to have homes once again. God has not forgotten them. I know there are many more villages like Kharaba in Syria. Pray with me that Gateway will find a way to make a difference for a few of them.