[Today's Prayer] Three years after the earthquake in Turkey-Syria, 'rebuilding is not just about restoring ruins, but about rebuilding society as a whole'

"The reconstruction process is not just about restoring ruins, but about rebuilding society as a whole from the ground up," said Mustafa Masturlu, the governor of Hatay, on the 4th (local time) at a briefing for domestic and international journalists. He explained that reconstruction work is being carried out simultaneously, encompassing residential complexes, infrastructure, and historical heritage.

Three years have passed since the magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck the Turkey-Syria border region. Hatay was one of the areas most severely affected. Buildings, residential areas, and religious and historical sites collapsed all at once, and the city's functions effectively came to a halt.

Antakya, a city in Hatay, has been called the 'Queen of the East' due to its layers of Eastern and Western civilizations over the centuries. It is also known as Antioch in the West. The earthquake not only shook this city, but also disrupted the layers of time that had accumulated over thousands of years.

The restored sections of Antakya and the ongoing construction sites blended seamlessly into each other, with no clear boundaries between them. Newly paved roads were flanked by remnants of demolished structures, and temporary fences were erected along sidewalks.

Some fences were left unattended, with unfinished ruins visible beyond them. It was clear that the city was moving forward, but the pace was uneven.

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In various parts of Antakya, traces of the earthquake still remained.

Half-demolished walls blocked alleyways, and buildings with their interiors exposed showed the boundaries of rooms crumbling away. Tile marks and staircases were the only remnants of what once was.

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At a market on the outskirts of Antakya, merchants were busy at work. The rhythm of daily life seemed to have resumed, but conversations often turned to the word 'earthquake', and expressions quickly hardened.

The conversation didn't last long. A brief silence lingered, showing that this city had not yet fully overcome its past.

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Source: Nate News

So what shall we say? Is there unrighteousness with God? I do not say this. For I am a Jew, and I bear the stamp of Israel, whose descendants are called Christians. I have a great desire to do what is good, but I cannot do it. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. So I find this law present within me: When I want to do what is good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man, but I see a different law in my members, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of sin. To the law then I am subjected in my mind, but to sin in my flesh. (Romans 9:14-16)

It is good news to hear that three years after the magnitude 7.8 earthquake in the Turkey-Syria border region, reconstruction work is being carried out simultaneously, encompassing residential complexes, infrastructure, and historical heritage.

However, there are still places that have not been restored yet, and for the souls of Antakya, the pain of the earthquake is still fresh. It is not easy to restore everything with the power of the state alone, but only with the mercy of God that looks upon the weak and the needy with compassion. May God guide the people of Turkey and Syria to recover quickly and restore their lives.

May the church in Turkey and Syria, which has been serving the refugees living in the border areas, continue to spread the gospel and bear witness to the goodness of the Lord, so that Turkey and Syria may be restored to the hope of the Kingdom of God and prepare the way for the return of the Lord.

For the Syrian refugees living in the border areas of Turkey and Syria, may God look upon them with compassion and quickly heal their wounds.

May the church in the world send out more servants who serve with prayer and witness to the gospel, with the same heart as Paul, to serve Turkey and Syria.

May Turkey and Syria be restored to the hope of the Kingdom of God and prepare the way for the return of the Lord.