大象传媒

St Dimitrios Greek Orthodox Church in Achrafieh is less than a kilometre away from where the Beirut explosion took place.

Father Youil Nassif rushed to the church to check for damage, finding the nave completely ruined. But the sacred altar space, protected by the 'iconostasis' (wall of icons), left everything inside almost unscathed - including an oil lamp that had remained lit throughout the blast.

Father Youil speaks of the importance of church communities in times of crisis - and also times of protest - as Beirut recovers and rebuilds.

Producer: Sophia Smith Galer