One year after the terrible explosions at the port of Beirut, the Lebanese sisters bear witness to the pain and resurrection of Lebanon

Amidst poverty and anger, the support of the Good Shepherd Sisters for the people overwhelmed by the explosion and the consequences of the disastrous fire at the port of Beirut is being strengthened.

Article by Sr Micheline Lattouf,
Province of Lebanon/Syria.

Amid this tragedy and in solidarity with all people of goodwill, could we not light a candle of hope? How can we witness so much suffering without somehow helping and serving those slaughtered like sheep without a shepherd? How can we fail to hear the voice of a tender and merciful God calling us to accompany our sisters and brothers to alleviate their suffering? This is the way of the Good Shepherd, who guides us and shows us the path to follow: “I have seen the misery of my people… I know how much they are suffering! Now go, I am sending you…” (Exodus 3).

God comes close to us and accompanies us on the path where he sends us. He precedes us, and through us, he joins his people. Therefore, full of hope, we embarked on multiple projects to be in solidarity with those who are marginalized: humanitarian aid, health care, reconstruction of houses destroyed by the explosion, medical assistance, not to mention all the human and psychological support offered during our visits which we carried out with the laity who accompanied us.

 Here we share the testimony of a young woman who accompanied us in one of the projects:

“I was a non-believer until August 4, when everything changed for me. I began to take to the streets of Beirut to help clean up the city, to offer temporary accommodation in tents to homeless families, and later visit them in their rubbled surroundings. I began to discover the gravity of the human misery into which families had been plunged long before the explosion. I realized that the explosion “stripped bare” those who had been hiding with dignity in their misery. During the visits, I saw the despair in which the families welcomed us with grieving eyes brimming with sadness. Yet, after our visit and the human concern we showed them, something was transformed. A glimmer of life began to germinate. I realized that the most important thing is to restore the person’s trust in themself and in God. I learned to let go of my prejudices and look at the depth of the person and not just how they appear. I met the Lord in every person I visited, and it’s a great grace in my life. I feel deeply touched because I saw how each encounter was an encounter with God; I touched him. This gives me great inner hope and joy”.