To Know Fadi is to Love Fadi!

telling stories

For the past two weeks, Max and I have been staying with two Syrian refugees in Zahlé, Lebanon. Their apartment building is on the fourth floor above a busy street, across from the True Vine Baptist Church. Milad and Fadi are both in their 20's with very different stories. Milad, a physician, has just gotten travel papers to Dresden and will be departing for Germany within the month. Fadi, our primary host, translator and sometimes driver, is 21 and waiting for permission and a visa to go to Canada where he will restart his university studies.

Fadi's family are well-educated and strong Christian leaders in Damascus. His mother is head of InterVarsity in Syria as well as a dentist. His father is a civil engineer who ran a successful business. Now, that doesn’t matter much. There is no work in Damascus for engineers and Nahla’s dental practice is closed for safety reasons.

To know Fadi is to experience someone who is fun and engaging. When I think of him before the war, it is easy to imagine a bright future for him. His charm and exuberance for life would have served him well in business. He had every reason to believe he would succeed and flourish in this society. Before the war, Syria was a vibrant country with a growing economy, a strong tourism sector, and deep historic and cultural ties to the region. Fashion, music and sport were popular pastimes. Carefree and without many concerns, Fadi thought his future was set. University, business, a fast car, marriage and family –all seemed within reach.

volunteering as an English teacher in the refugee camp

But now the future is not as bright. Soon after he turned 15 years old, the conflict started and during his teen years it escalated into a full-fledged war. Here in Lebanon, he waits. Like many young men, his future is tied to international response and rules that are beyond his control. He can’t work. He can’t attend school. Like most 21 year olds, he has big dreams but now those dreams are on hold. He still schemes – but the options are far different from the ones available to him just a few years ago.

Imagine not just Fadi but the future of a whole generation being put on hold.

• Smoking and drinking? Who cares? A bullet may take your life any day. 
• Dreaming for the future? Why? Mandatory military service awaits. Besides, no jobs. 
• College entrance exams? Why study? There is no possibility of school. 
• Starting a family? How? No home, no work, and no money make it impossible. 

Fadi is exactly the kind of person Syria will need when it begins to rebuild. By nature, he is optimistic. His faith provides a world view that begins with love, not revenge. He is smart, generous, and believes he can and should contribute to a new Syria.

Fadi with a young
Syrian refugee from Aleppo

But I wonder what the lingering consequences of this war will have on people like Fadi. Should the war end tomorrow, the repair and rebuilding is far more than physical or fiscal. The psychological, social and spiritual scars of this war are profound. It won’t be easy to lay aside the strife that politics and religion caused in this region. It will take courageous leadership. Such men and women of impeccable caliber and wisdom have yet to emerge. I wonder if the wounded of Fadi’s generation can and will step up. 

I love this remarkable young man. I pray that God has a future for him that includes his return to Syria.

Fadi’s favorite verse: John 13:45-36

I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.

I'm afraid Max corrupted Fadi with cigars or was it the other way around?

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