May 20, 2002 — Mudeif Productions

*The international attendees have access to simultaneous translation.*

The conference continued full speed today - the days are very, very full. It began with a Bible study focusing on hope, led by an Egyptian Presbyterian pastor. The Armenian Catholicos of Cilicia (the names of the church hierarchy are wonderful) spoke about hope, sharing his thought that, "in a society where certain kinds of sicknesses are dominant, the church needs to bring healing." There is quite an Armenian diaspora in the Middle East. As the first Christianized nation, Armenia has sent pilgrims and emigrants to Jerusalem for well over a thousand years. In Iran, Armenian communities have been known for their quality craftsmanship since the days of ancient Persia. From there, they spread west to Iraq and beyond. The Armenian genocides, which climaxed in 1915, claimed the lives of one and a half million Armenians, out of a total of two and a half million Armenians in the Ottoman Empire. Those who could escape the Young Turks' policy of murder and "relocation" fled over the borders, swelling Armenian communities already in Arab lands. We also heard from Coptic and Greek Orthodox church leaders, sharing their visions as well as their challenges to us as Western Christians. There were also several panels, including one on church partnership, and another on equipping the church.

*A panel on the Christian presence in Iraq.*

The centerpiece was the panel of Iraqi church leaders from the Armenian, Syrian, Chaldean, and Evangelical (Presbyterian) churches. It was a real treat to have them attending the Conference and enriching our gathering. We were especially excited to see a few familiar faces, of people we had the privilege to meet last year during the 5th Christian Conference in Iraq: "The Church Serving Peace and Humanity." The words from our Iraqi brothers and sisters - then and now - were clear. They are very concerned about the possibility of intensified military actions against their country, and the ensuing effects on their communities. This comes in addition to the anguish caused to them by eleven years of crippling sanctions. As the Chaldean Bishop Shlimon put it, "Our churches in Iraq are hungry, thirsty, naked and in prison. The Lord will ask you about this in the day of judgment. He will say, when I was hungry you didn’t feed me. Because you have not done this for your brothers and sisters, the churches in Iraq and the Middle East." The prophetic voice was strong and sharp. We are weighed down by the sense that simple presence in solidarity is not enough - Western Christians are called to concrete action.

We finished off the evening by watching a documentary, the Journey of the Magi. For Christmas 2000, a group of pilgrims rode camels from Iraq to Bethlehem, following the traditional journey of the ancient kings. Since we were with the crowds to welcome them when they arrived in Bethlehem, it was very interesting to see parts of the rest of their journey.

*The chapel is ready for the overnight vigil.*

Tonight began EMEU's thirty-three hour prayer vigil, which Elizabeth has been coordinating. Remarkably, she's convinced even travel-weary, jet-lagged folks to fill up hour-long prayer slots throughout tonight and tomorrow night. In fact, the Iraqi Chaldean Bishop signed up to start us off at 10 tonight - three wee hours before Marthame made his way to the vigil space in the sanctuary. "Stay awake with me." (Matthew 26)