whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.
As they pass through the Valley of Baka,
they make it a place of springs;
the autumn rains also cover it with pools.
They go from strength to strength,
till each appears before God in Zion.
I have long been enamored by the poetic sound of Beqaa. When Arab speaking friends say the word it becomes almost magical. We never thought that one day we would be in that valley, mountains on all sides, 30 or so kilometers wide and 120 long. Not unlike the Fraser Valley, stretching from Hope to Richmond, fertile and fed by mountain streams.
The feeling presented in Psalm 84 is one of longing. The Hebrew word is related to our word weep. The pilgrims are passing through and it is as if their tears water the ground and bring it to life.
There has been much of tears in this valley of late. For the duration of the Syrian conflict, refugees have been pouring out of its borders, and more than a million are in Lebanon with the majority being in the Beqaa Valley where the UNHCR has services to provide for some of them. For ten years ending in 2008 Syrian troops occupied Lebanon to maintain some uneasy peace. The refugees that are here now have not been warmly welcomed by the Lebanese people.
We were in the Beqaa Valley to visit ARocha Lebanon's current site of rehabilitation. It is indeed a place that can bring tears. The team . has planted 7 acres of trees and almost all have died in the first year. Apparently this was a parking lot for Syrian military vehicles during the years of occupation. The soil has been seriously contaminated.
The small volunteer team under the direction Damien and Philip are somewhat overwhelmed by the task ahead and would love to have partners to join them in this work. Visit their website ARocha Lebanon to learn more and possibly contribute to the work. The team needs some soil scientists to do some analysis and look to solutions
However, this team is not without hope. They too are going from strength to strength believing that all things can be made new, that those tears of the refugees might in fact be the very cleanser needed for the soil of this beautiful valley.