【慈幼通訊社 ─ 2016 年 08月 02 日訊】
你們好！
我叫 Rand Mittri，今年26歲，在敘利亞自然科學學院畢業。目前我在敘利亞阿勒頗大學攻讀碩士課程，並在阿勒頗慈幼會鮑思高中心服務。你們也許知道，我們的城市遭受破壞摧毀。我們生活全無意義，活在被人遺忘的城市中。
我與21位我的同伴，代表著中東地區，包括敘利亞、黎巴嫩和埃及的慈幼人，來到這裡與你們見面。與我們同行的，還有慈幼會團體院長西滿神父。我們感謝天主，能在這裡與你們一起。
我摯愛國家敘利亞的真正實況，也許你們很多人難以知道及理解。要以三言兩語，來向你們訴說我們的苦況，幾乎是不可能的事。我們心中的痛苦這樣深重，實在難以形容，然而我會盡量向各位信眾，分享我們現實的點滴。
我們每天都徘徊在死亡邊緣。然而正如你們一樣，我們外出上班上學時，我們也會掩門。就在這時，我們便會充滿恐懼，生怕離開家門後，便無法再回到我們的家庭，與家人相聚。也許我們，又或是我們的家人，就在那天遇害。意識到自己的生活被死亡及殺戮所包圍，感覺實在痛苦難受，但卻無路可逃、求救無望。
天主，你在哪裡？你為什麼捨棄我們？你存在否？為什麼你沒垂憐我們？難道你不是慈愛的天主？我們每天都花上一點時間，作這樣的質問，但我卻得不到答覆。
這會是個終結嗎？我們生來就要在痛苦中死去嗎？還是我們出生就是要活著，並活出圓滿的生命嗎？我所經歷的這場戰爭，實在是嚴酷和艱辛的。然而這使我成長得更快，並能以不同角度來看事物。
我在阿勒頗鮑思高中心服務。我們的中心收容了逾700名男女青年，他們希望前來看到一點笑容，聽到一些鼓勵的話。他們也來這裡尋求生活中所欠缺的東西：真正人道的待遇。然而我難以把喜樂與信仰賜予他人，因為我生命中正是完全欠缺這些東西。
在這場戰爭中我們中心喪失了很多人。一名13歲青年積克，他正要前往上教理課，以及與朋友玩耍，在等候巴士時遇害。戰事的無情及人們心中的仇恨，殺害了這位無辜的青年。一天傍晚，Anwar和 Michelle回家去了，我們正期待著他們明天回到中心來。但不幸的，他們這晚的睡眠，竟成了一睡不起，因為他們的房屋被炸毀，倒塌在他們身上，而他們便魂歸天國了。其他遇害者包括我的好友Nour、 Antoine、William，以及很多男女青年，他們的過失，如果有的話，是他們敢於對人性有信心。他們全都是這場不可理喻的流血戰爭中的殉道者，這場戰爭摧毀了我們的靈魂、夢想和希望。誠然，人類生命的摧殘，與磚瓦的破壞相比，損失更為極其重大。
即使有這樣的痛苦，我與朋友在教會的生活，卻繼續成為樂於奉獻的生活，服務城內的青年。我們跟隨鮑思高的步伐，以雙倍喜樂面對不斷增加的痛苦。我們在一個協助挑水的小孩身上，看到天主的臨在。我們在從事救援工作的人身上看見天主。我們也從永不放棄，把食物送到子女的父母身上，看見天主。
透過我一點兒的生活經歷，我學會以基督的信仰，取代生活的境況。這不僅應用於面對風平浪靜的平和生活。我更相信天主會臨於我們的痛苦中。我相信祂透過我們的痛苦，教導我們生命的真正意義。我對基督的信仰，是我喜樂與希望的泉源。無人能奪去我這真正的喜樂。最後，我懇求復活的主，賜給我和每一位在敘利亞生活的人，以及世上所有的人恩寵，在每個受傷、憂苦、被遺棄的人身上，展示慈悲的情懷，並把喜樂植根於他們心中。這是向世上的每位基督徒，所傳遞的訊息。
我感謝你們每一位，並懇求你們為我摯愛祖國敘利亞祈禱。
I thank you all and I earnestly ask you to pray for my beloved country, Syria.
(ANS, 02 August 2016)
Hello.
My name is Rand Mittri. I am 26 years old, and I am a graduate of the College of Natural Science in Syria. I am currently working on a master’s degree at the University of Aleppo, also in Syria. I am with the Salesian Don Bosco Center in Aleppo. As you may know, our city has been destroyed, ruined, and broken. The meaning in our lives has been canceled. We are the forgotten city.
I have traveled here to see you with 21 of my companions representing the Salesian people across the Middle East, including Syria, Lebanon, and Egypt. Also with us is Father Simon, the leader of the Salesian community. We thank God for being with you all here.
It may be hard for many of you to know and understand the full breadth of what is happening in my beloved country, Syria. It will be very hard for me to impart a life of pain to you in a few sentences. The pain that is in our hearts is too big to express in words, but I will try to share a few aspects of our reality with you, our fellow believers.
Every day we live lives that are surrounded by death. But like you, we close our doors behind us as each morning as we leave for work or school. It is in that moment that we are gripped by fear that we will not return to find our homes and our families as we left them. Perhaps we will be killed that day. Or perhaps our families will. It is a hard and painful feeling to know that you are surrounded by death and killing, and there is no way to escape; no one to help.
God, where are you? Why have you forsaken us? Do you even exist? Why won’t you have mercy on us? Are you not the God of love? We spend a few minutes each day asking these questions. I don’t have an answer.
Is it possible that this is the end, and that we were born to die in pain? Or are we born to live, and to live life to the fullest? My experience in this war has been a harsh and difficult one. But it has caused me to mature and grow up before my time, and to see things in a different perspective.
I serve at the Don Bosco Center in Aleppo. Our center receives more than 700 young men and women who come hoping to see a smile and hear a word of encouragement. They are also seeking something that is otherwise lacking in their lives: genuine humanitarian treatment. But it is very difficult for me to give joy and faith to others while I myself am bankrupt of these things in my life.
We have lost many people at our center in this war. Jack, a 13 year-old boy died while waiting for a bus to bring him to attend a Christian lesson and to play with his friends. Unfortunately, the bitterness of war and the hate in men’s hearts killed this boy. Anwar and Michelle left us one evening, and we were expecting to see them the very next day back at the center. But unfortunately their sleep that night became eternal as their home was destroyed and collapsed on top of them, and they joined the angels in heaven. Others who died include my friends Nour, Antoine, William, and many other young men and women who could only be faulted for daring to have faith in humanity. They are all martyrs in this bloody war of no reason that has destroyed our souls, dreams, and hopes. The destruction of human life is an infinitely greater loss compared to the demolition of bricks and stones.
In spite of all of this pain, my life and the life of my friends at church have continued to be lives of service and joyful giving to the children and youth of our city. We follow the footsteps of Don Bosco, who increased his joy two fold in response to increasing pain. We see the presence of God in a child who helps to fetch water. We see God in those who work to rescue others in danger. We see God in parents who do not give up until they are able to bring food to their children.
Through my meager life experience, I have learned that my faith in Christ supersedes the circumstances of life. This truth is not conditioned on living a life of peace that is free of hardship. More and more, I believe that God exists despite all of our pain. I believe that sometimes through our pain, He teaches us the true meaning of love. My faith in Christ is the reason for my joy and hope. No one will ever be able to steal this true joy from me. In the end, I ask the Resurrected Lord to grant me, everyone living in Syria, and people around the world the grace to show a touch of mercy and plant joy in the hearts of every wounded, sad, and abandoned person. This is the message for every Christian on the face of the earth.
I thank you all and I earnestly ask you to pray for my beloved country, Syria.