Lebanon is one of the countries in the world with one of the most distinctive political systems: it is governed by a model known as confessionalism, which guarantees Maronite Christian, Sunni Muslim and Shia Muslim representation in the three most important political offices in the country. This particular system seeks to maintain a certain balance and to prevent interreligious tensions. Within this context, the lecturer Jaume Figa Vaello aims, through the publication of this new book, to highlight that coexistence is possible and that Lebanon, as John Paul II stated, “is more than a country; it is a message”.

Flores en el Desierto (Rialp) is a collection of personal accounts from individuals in Lebanon and other countries in the Middle East, portraying a living and creative Christianity in the region. “The book was commissioned by the publisher, but the real motivation arose when I discovered what was happening there,” explains the lecturer in Communication. “Through a priest I knew in the country, I gradually came across people with compelling stories,” he adds. Over the course of August, Figa interviewed ordinary members of the public, mainly Christians, but also individuals from other religious backgrounds.

The book even includes the testimony of a former Hezbollah member who converted, as well as that of a man who was kidnapped during the war and beaten every day. “He told me that he had a devotion to Our Lady of Mantara, an image located near Tyre and Sidon, venerated by various Christian and non-Christian communities in Lebanon. He prayed to her every night and, each morning, he would miraculously wake up recovered,” he recalls. “I asked a priest, ‘How is it possible that there are so many miracles?’ He replied that, in order to understand Lebanon, one must set aside any form of Western rationalism.” From this perspective, Jaume Figa brings together these testimonies to illustrate religious coexistence in a country marked by armed conflict such as Lebanon.

Hope and optimism

Despite the current situation in Lebanon, Flores en el desierto is intended by its author as a source of hope and optimism. “That is why I chose this title. Despite the conflict and the economic crisis, even in the most difficult circumstances we can still believe in people. Humanity retains its strength,” argues the lecturer at the Faculty of Communication Sciences in relation to this religious coexistence.

The Christian community in Lebanon, which forms the core focus of the book, has experienced waves of migration driven by the country’s economic crisis and political instability, and now represents approximately 30% of the population. Many people want to return or have already returned. It is their country, and they want to contribute to its recovery,” he explains. “Saint John Paul II said that Lebanon is more than a country; it is a message, and I have experienced that myself,” he concludes.

Flores en el desierto was presented on Monday 29 June at UIC Barcelona. The La Vanguardia journalist Plàcid Garcia-Planas, who moderated the event, encouraged audiences to engage with the book “because these stories help to understand in depth the reality of what is happening, far beyond any geopolitical analysis of those countries”. For this reason, he added, “it is a book I would especially recommend to non-believers”. Both he and the author concluded that Lebanon, now more than ever, is defined by the stories of its people, and that “Jaume Figa’s book is a strong reflection of this”.