In the ruins of a bombed-out church in Lebanon, there’s now a tiny Christmas tree

A Christmas tree stands among the fallen stones of what remains of St. George Melkite Catholic Church in southern Lebanon. Once a vibrant community centre, the 18th-century church is in ruins after an Israeli airstrike in October.

A Christmas tree stands among the fallen stones of what remains of St. George Melkite Catholic Church in southern Lebanon. Once a vibrant community centre, the 18th-century church is in ruins after an Israeli airstrike in October.

Georges Elia, a 40-year-old municipal worker and churchgoer, took it upon himself to bring some normalcy as the holiday season approached, weeks after a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah militants.

“This year, Christmas is arriving with sadness for us, but we didn’t want it to be a sad one for the town’s residents and its church,” Mr. Elia said. “We tried to put up a tree, even if it is a modest and simple one.”

It's a small tree, shorter than him. He bent to place the shining garland and the final star. Crystal chandeliers hang, still intact, above the shattered pews. Paper images of Santa Claus lay on the debris.

The Christmas tree lacks lights, since the war destroyed power lines. It also lacks the traditional Nativity scene, since it might fall apart on the uneven ground.

“But, of course, Christ is born in our hearts, lit with our love for him,” Mr. Elia said.

The church was struck as Israel bombarded southern Lebanon and sent in ground forces, turning what had been a low-intensity conflict of near-daily exchanges of fire into all-out war. Hezbollah said it attacked in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, while Israel said it wanted a safe border area so citizens could return home.