Christians Under Attack

The rockets are launched, bringing death and destruction to the people of northern Israel.

The Israeli Defense Forces respond, retaliating with their own missiles to take out the Hezbollah rocket launchers.

Lebanese Christians such as John Diab were caught in the cross fire.

He took CBN News on a tour of his war-ravaged home -- a home his father recently finished constructing after more than 30-years of labor.

"My dad earned a meager living, but he regularly took a portion of his salary in order to build this house to provide his family with a shelter," Diab said. "Suddenly the war started, a bomb hit and we found it burning. Dad told me the house was burning. We could do nothing because were under shelling. The hard work of 30 years disappeared in a second."

John says most of the family's possessions were destroyed. The loss of family keepsakes, photos and videos are the hardest to accept.

Most other items could be replaced if John had the money. Hezbollah has reportedly given its supporters $12,000 each to rebuild.

Christians say the Lebanese government has yet to deliver on promises to provide them with reconstruction assistance.

John Diab is not alone. Eight months after the war here in south Lebanon, Christians are facing a wide range of difficulties.

Most of them are economic. When the Israelis occupied the south Lebanon security zone, many Lebanese Christians benefited from business opportunities and economic development projects backed by Israel.

But now there are few jobs and thousands have left south Lebanon, seeking a better life in Canada, Europe and the United States. The mass exodus has hurt Christian towns like Ein Ebel. More than one third of its residents chose not to return home after the war.

However, Pastor Pierre Francis says many committed Christians have chosen to stay in south Lebanon to be salt and light in a culture now dominated by Islam and ongoing crises.

"We are called to be a blessing among thousands," he said. "So, it's a challenge for us, sometimes it's painful, we need lots of courage but I think the lord will enable us to do the work and then stay faithful until he comes."

South Lebanon Christians are looking to God to give them strength in the midst of hardship. Many are praying their brothers and sisters in Christ around the world will remember them. Those like John Diab just want someone to stand beside them to bring comfort, care and hope.