The tragic events unfolding in the Middle East have caused irreparable damage to the presence of Christianity in its ancient heartlands.
The massacre of Christians across Iraq has reminded us that Christianity is not a Western religion but has deep roots in this region.
I have just returned from a student tour across Israel. With the closing stages of the conflict in Gaza and ISIS capturing the border crossing between Syria and Israel there was an added sense of anxiety for many students travelling to the Middle East for the first time. As it turned out we could not have wished for a more peaceful tour of the land, but that is generally the experience of tourists. The people of the land can have a quite different perspective, even when the region is not making international news.
