NEWSLETTER June 2019

NEWSLETTER June 2019 www.theonest.edu.lb P.O.Box: 13-5780 Chouran, Beirut 1102 2070 Lebanon • E-mail: [email protected] • www.theonest.edu.lb Tel.: (961-1) 349901 / 738639 • Fax: (961-1) 347129 From the President Charge to the Graduates There is a report, conductedThere is and a report, published conducted annually and by published the Wharton annually School by ofthe the Wharton University School of Pennsylva- of the University of Pennsylva- nia and a well-knownnia global and aconsumer well-known insight global firm consumer that ranks insight countries. firm thatThousands ranks countries. of people Thousands taken from of people taken from over 80 countries areover asked 80 tocountries respond are to questionsasked to respond on the basisto questions of 65 country on the attributes,basis of 65 e.g., country economic attributes, e.g., economic influence, power, citizenshipinfluence, and power, quality citizenship of life, in and order quality to determine of life, in each order country’s to determine success each as country’sa modern success as a modern nation. The rankings nation.are part The of anrankings analysis are project part of called an analysis the “Best project Countries called Report.”the “Best In Countries 2018, last Report.” year, In 2018, last year, and for the second yearand infor a the row, second Switzerland year in rankeda row, asSwitzerland the world’s ranked best country,as the world’s followed best by country, Canada, followed by Canada, Sweden, Germany, Sweden,United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, United Sweden, Kingdom, Australia, Japan, UnitedSweden, States, Australia, France, United Netherlands. States, France, Netherlands. Nowhere on the list canNowhere any country on the fromlist can the any Middle country East from be found; the Middle actually, East there be found; is no ranking actually, for there them. is no ranking for them. There is also such a Therething asis aalso research such aanalysis thing as report a research on the analysis best country report toon raise the bestchildren country in: Denmarkto raise children in: Denmark ranks first here, then Sweden,ranks first Norway, here, then Finland, Sweden, Canada... Norway, Again, Finland, no Middle Canada... Eastern Again, country no Middle is anywhere Eastern incountry is anywhere in sight. sight. If you check the reportIf aboutyou check the Safest the report Countries about thein the Safest world Countries – there is in such the worlda report – therethat lists is such 31 countries- a report that lists 31 countries you will find that Iceland– you ranks will findfirst, that and IcelandLatvia andranks Spain first, rank and 31Latvia and and30, butSpain no rankMiddle 31 Easternand 30, butcountry no Middle Eastern country is anywhere in betweenis anywhere or even in in sight. between or even in sight. Dear graduates, you Dearall come graduates, from the you Middle all come East, from from the Syria, Middle born East, and from raised, Syria, but bornalso fromand raised, Lebanon, but also from Lebanon, where you have livedwhere and studied. you have Well, lived neither and studied. Syria nor Well, Lebanon neither figure Syria anywhere nor Lebanon among figure the anywherebest coun- among the best countries of the world, nortries among of the the world, best to nor raise among your the children best to in, raise nor youramong children the safest in, norcountries among to the live safest in. It countries to live in. It is very likely that theyis veryrank likelysomewhere that they at the rank very somewhere end of such at thelistings. very Yet,end ofit issuch in theselistings. countries, Yet, it isat inthe these countries, at the very end of every list,very that end you of live, every have list, studied that you theology, live, have and studied where youtheology, will continue and where to liveyou andwill work.continue to live and work. A different type of report,A different the Holy type Scriptures, of report, tellsthe Holy us that Scriptures, it is precisely tells usin thatthis itregion is precisely of the worldin this that region is of the world that is 2 NEST farthest of all from thefarthest best country of all from to be, the that best God country chose to to be, reveal that Himself;God chose it isto inreveal this regionHimself; of theit is world in this region of the world that God formed a peoplethat God and formedchose to a accompanypeople and chosethem; toit isaccompany this region them; of the it worldis this thatregion God of chose the world for that God chose for his Son to be born andhis to Son be raisedto be born in, in and order to beto raisedfulfill God’sin, in ordermission to fulfillto the God’swhole missionworld. to the whole world. You have been trainedYou in havewhat beenis not trained the best in countries what is not in the world;best countries you have in beenthe world; spiritually you have formed been and spiritually formed and theologically shaped theologicallyin what is not shaped the best in countries what is not to bethe raised best countries in; and you to bewill raised be serving in; and in you very will unsafe be serving in very unsafe countries, but your theologicalcountries, trainingbut your and theological spiritual trainingformation and are spiritual the best formation and most are excellent, the best not and because most excellent, not because of the grades you got,of or the the grades seminary you thatgot, youor the studied seminary in, or that the you degrees studied you in, have or the acquired, degrees but you in have so far acquired, as but in so far as you will serve and dedicateyou will your serve lives and to dedicate precisely your the lives countries to precisely that are the not countries the best inthat the are world, not the not best the in the world, not the most children-raisingmost friendly, children-raising and not the safest.friendly, and not the safest. For our part, as a theologicalFor our part,seminary, as a theological we measure seminary, our success we measurein theological our success education, in theological not simply education, by our not simply by our academic standards andacademic qualified standards teaching and staff, qualified or the numberteaching of staff, volumes or the we number have inof our volumes library, we or have the use in our library, or the use of the latest technologyof thein learninglatest technology tools, but inmost learning importantly tools, but by mostwhether importantly those who by study whether here those remain who to study here remain to serve and persevere inserve what and are persevere not the best in whatplaces are to not be, theand best so identify places to with, be, andsupport, so identify console, with, encourage, support, console, encourage, lead and minister to theirlead andbrothers minister and tosisters their in brothers those places and sisters which in the those world places reports which scorn the and world ranks reports last, scorn and ranks last, but which figured firstbut on which God’s figured list. first on God’s list. So, congratulations, dearSo, congratulations, graduates, not just dear because graduates, you notreceived just because your degrees you received and finished your degreesyour studies and finished your studies successfully, but becausesuccessfully, you will butalso because put your you education will also to put use, your and education you will minister to use, and and you serve, will where minister it and serve, where it is most needed in thisis world-forsaken, most needed in butthis notworld-forsaken, God-forsaken, but region. not God-forsaken, May that great region. declaration May that of faithful- great declaration of faithful- ness and steadfastnessness of theand prophet steadfastness Habakuk of the be prophetyour guiding Habakuk light be and your your guiding graduation light motto:and your graduation motto: “Though the fig tree “Thoughdoes not blossom,the fig tree and does no fruitnot blossom, is on the and vines, no fruit is on the vines, though the produce ofthough the olive the failsproduce and of the the fields olive yield fails no and food, the fields yield no food, though the flock is cutthough off from the the flock fold is andcut offthere from be theno herdfold andin the there stalls, be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the yet LORD, I will rejoice I will exult in the in LORD, the God I willof my exult salvation. in the God of my salvation. GOD, the Lord, is myGOD, strength; the Lord,he makes is my my strength; feet like he the makes feet of my a feetdeer, like the feet of a deer, and makes me tread uponand makes the heights.” me tread (Hab upon 3:17-19) the heights.” (Hab 3:17-19) CommencementCommencement 2019 2019 The 87th CommencementThe 87th was Commencement held on June 15 wasin the held Large on JuneChapel. 15 inFour the students Large Chapel. graduated Four – studentsall Syrians. graduated – all Syrians. The speaker was theThe Rev. speaker Dr. Nadim was theNassar Rev. (B. Dr. Th. Nadim ‘88), NassarDirector (B. of Th. the ‘88), Awareness Director Foundation of the Awareness in the Foundation in the United Kingdom - a ChristianUnited Kingdom Foundation - a Christian whose mission Foundation is to empowerwhose mission is to empower people of faith to embracepeople diversity of faith toand embrace build peaceful diversity and and harmonious build peaceful and harmonious communities. His addresscommunities. was entitled: His address “The Christians was entitled: of the “The Middle Christians of the Middle East – God’s HealingEast Hands”. – God’s The Healing Commencement Hands”. The was Commencement attended by the was attended by the President of the SupremePresident Council of the of Supreme the Evangelical Council Communityof the Evangelical of Community of Syria and Lebanon, Rev.Syria Joseph and Lebanon, Kassab, Rev.as well Joseph the Honorary Kassab, as President well the Honorary President of the Council, Rev.

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