Lebanon (MNN) — At 6:07 pm on Monday, several hundred people who had gathered in Beirut, Lebanon fell silent. Exactly five years earlier, one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history devastated the port and surrounding districts. The crowd carried photos of some of the more than 200 people killed by the blast.
Camille Melki with Heart for Lebanon said the lack of accountability makes the pain worse.
“Here we are, five years later, and we still don’t know what caused it. Why [were] those ammonium nitrate [containers] in 3,000 tons stored at the port of Beirut? What ignited this incident?” he said.
Heart for Lebanon workers help clean up in the aftermath of the 2020 port explosion in Beirut.
(Photo courtesy of Heart for Lebanon)
A full investigation has faced numerous roadblocks and years-long delays from Lebanese officials. It is underway again as of early 2025.
Yet though justice is right to pursue, true hope for Lebanon doesn’t depend on that justice. That’s what Melki’s then 79-year-old mother showed after the explosion.
When his mother entered her ruined home for the first time, Melki could see she was deeply distressed. She and his father had rebuilt their business seven times during Lebanon’s civil war and their home three times. This was another trial.
“Then I see Mom walking towards her piano, clean up the debris off her piano and start playing,” Melki said.
A video of her playing “Auld Lang Syne” in her shattered living room went viral. It led to TV interviews where Melki’s mother shared that her strength and hope come from Christ alone.
“Five years later, every time my mom walks down the street, somebody want[s] to greet her and ask her to ‘keep playing the piano,’” Melki said.
Hope is what Heart for Lebanon seeks to bring. In the aftermath of the 2020 port explosion, they rallied volunteers to clear debris and salvage what they could in the ruins. Even people who were refugees were among them. Normally the ones being served by Heart for Lebanon, the refugees were instead the ones helping citizens of Beirut recover.
“Everything we do, we do it unconditionally. But also we want them to know that what drives us is the love of Jesus Christ that [He] has for every man and woman who is hurting and suffering,” said Melki.
“So first, pray for us. Second, join us in leading people out of despair into hope in Jesus Christ.”
Learn how you can partner with Heart for Lebanon here.
Header photo: Port of Beirut after the August 4 explosion. (Photo courtesy of rashid khreiss via Unsplash)
