Weekly devotion: Growing in Wisdom
Fitness session at Dbayeh Library & Community Centre
This week we pray for the staff and visitors of the Joint Christian Committee’s library and community centre in Dbayeh Refugee Camp in Lebanon. The centre is a focus of community life in a context of poverty and limited opportunities.
It’s so important for children to have somewhere safe to learn and imagine. For young people growing up in Dbayeh, a permanent Palestinian refugee camp near Beirut, such spaces can be hard to find. Families live with overcrowding and poverty, and there are limited opportunities for work or education. Many families have been there for decades, and the younger generations have known no other life.
But within the camp, a library run by our partners at the Joint Christian Committee for Social Services offers the chance to study and explore ideas in a peaceful yet vibrant environment.
Over the years, the library has become much more than a place to borrow books. It now serves as a community hub where people of all ages can learn new skills, access computers, attend workshops on important health and social issues, or simply spend time together. The library provides knowledge and connection in a community cut off from its Palestinian roots and facing the hardships of life in the camp.
Bible reading
After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.
And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favour.
Luke 2:46-47 & 52
Thought
When Jesus was twelve years old, he sat among the teachers in the temple, listening, asking questions, and growing in understanding. It is an inspiring picture of a young person eager to learn and discover more about the world around him. The adults were amazed by his insight, but Luke’s Gospel also reminds us that Jesus wasn’t a young know-it-all! He sought out people he could learn from, and listened.
This reading teaches that learning is a gift, which helps us grow into the people God intends us to become. The JCC library in Dbayeh Camp provides that opportunity for growth, offering a gathering place for studying, asking questions and sharing ideas.
The story invites all of us to remain curious and open to learning, whatever our age. God teaches us in many ways – through Scripture of course, but also through other people and through experiences we might not have expected.
Ask yourself: When was the last time you made space to learn something new, and how might God be using that learning to help you grow spiritually?
Prayer
Heavenly Father,
Thank you for the gifts of learning, imagination, and discovery. We pray for the children, families, and staff connected with the Joint Christian Committee’s library in Dbayeh Camp. May it continue to be a place of belonging and opportunity, where young people can grow in wisdom and confidence.
Keep our minds open to learning from you and from those around us. Give us curiosity, generous hearts, and a desire to use our knowledge and gifts to serve others.
Amen
An update from Karagheusian Centre
Director Serop Ohanian tells how steadfast generous support is making a difference in Lebanon