Syria (MNN) — A political label is causing deep division in communities and churches in the Middle East. The word in the center of the trouble is “Zionist.” 

Nuna* with Triumphant Mercy Lebanon explains the thought process that many people in the Middle East go through. 

“What they see is that all the support to Christians is coming from the U.S.,” she says. “And the U.S. — mainly the big pastors, the tele-evangelists — all these people are talking about Israel as ‘the Promised Land,’ and about Israel as being the land chosen by God.”

(Photo courtesy of Karolina Grabowska/Unsplash)

This quickly earns the label “Zionist,” which Nuna says, “It’s not Israel as the Israeli, or the faith, or the Jews. They’re talking about Zion as land. So the ‘Zionist’ means ‘the right to the land.’” 

It’s an easy jump to extend that label to Christians anywhere in the Middle East. “The views of Islam, of the Muslim people, is that these Christians are affiliated with the U.S.,” says Nuna.

“This is a statement that you’re making just by being Christian: you’re just saying ‘Israel has the right to the land,’ meaning ‘everybody else needs to go.’”

Many, many Christians do not believe this about the land of Israel. But Nuna explains the perception still hinders the gospel, because people don’t want to listen to Christians. 

The issue also puts churches themselves in danger of being called Zionists and targeted accordingly. Tragically, this is happening in Syria, and among Christians no less. 

“Even churches — like traditional churches — are going to the [interim] government and saying that ‘these evangelicals are Zionists.’ Christians inside Syria are saying this, which is Christians against each other,” Nuna says.

(Representative stock photo courtesy of Nathan Dumlao via Unsplash)

“The churches are very, very afraid of what this means, of being labeled under this Zionist movement. [Government officials] close churches, they stop ministries. I know of one ministry that has even been removed [from its] license just because the ministry is to evangelize the non-Christians.”

We know that Christians are not enemies of one another. These lies about political beliefs and these divisions among churches are stirred up by the enemy. Please pray! Pray that unity in Christ will overcome all wrong perceptions about what following Him means.

“What we have to do all the time is talk about [the] realities that God does not divide His Body. Jesus came for everyone,” Nuna says of their ministry at Triumphant Mercy Lebanon. “When we’re talking with people, we have to explain ourselves all the time. ‘Yes, there are preachers who are saying this. Yes, this is true, but this is not the reality on the ground. On the ground, everyone needs salvation. Israelis need salvation. Palestinians need salvation. Everyone needs Jesus.”

Ask God to overcome fear and divisions within churches in Syria and all other points of contention. Specifically pray for Triumphant Mercy Lebanon as they evaluate what is going on in neighboring Syria and how they can or cannot support evangelism and discipleship within Syria.  

Learn more about Triumphant Mercy Lebanon here. 

*Pseudonym

Header photo of a minaret and a church steeple side-by-side in Syria. (Photo courtesy of Ali Wassouf/Unsplash)