Lebanon (MNN) — Today is Valentine’s Day, the “day of love.” According to the National Retail Federation, US consumers will spend over $20 billion to mark the occasion.
A Christian worker we’ll call Jane tells us the holiday looks a little different in Lebanon: “It’s maybe not as big as it is in the West, but the concept of loving people and giving hearts, giving chocolates, is something that is done here as well, although to a lesser extent.”
Jane works with a prayer ministry called Cry Out. The ministry organizes intentional prayer efforts for countries in the Near East region: Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Iraq.
Cry Out workers also live out their faith in tangible ways. For example, “We decided to think outside the box and do something different, and we’re doing a Valentines’ Day Outreach,” shares Jane.
“It’s basically a ‘love campaign’ because we want to flood two cities in our country with the love of God and the truth of His love.”
Finding true love on Valentine’s Day
February 14 is recognized as Valentine’s Day around the world. However, it also marks a dark day in Lebanon’s history. Read about the 2005 assassination of former prime minister Rafik Hariri here.
As such, February 14 is “a public holiday,” Jane explains, “so people should be out and about on the streets…
“There should be opportunity to see people we wouldn’t normally see on a day-to-day basis.”
For two days, Cry Out workers are distributing heart-shaped cards to strangers.
“We have different Scriptures that we’re going to put on different cards and we’re going to go out on the streets and give them to random people to bless them with the love of God,” explains Jane.
“We’re just praying that God will connect us with the right ones, that He will prepare hungry hearts that actually need to know and desire to know the true God and the true love of the true God.”
A URL on the back of each card points curious seekers to a website with further details. This outreach is significant because it’s impacting Muslims who may not know the God of the Bible.
“We pray that God will prepare other people’s hearts as much as He’s preparing our hearts for these activities, and that there will be a beautiful connection of what God wants to do.”
Will you join their efforts? Ask the Lord to protect Cry Out workers as they distribute cards, and pray curious seekers will find the Lord through this outreach.
Header and story images courtesy Pexels.
