GENOA - For members of the Christian faith, Lent is a time to reflect and come to a deeper understanding of their faith and of God.

On Sunday at the United Church of Genoa, members of the church and surrounding congregations from towns such as Aurora, Venice Center and Scipio, gathered for part of the Wider Parish 2009 Lenten Series.

During these gatherings, congregation members gather to eat, talk and to listen to guest speakers, discussing works of faith here at home and on the global scale.

The United Church of Genoa welcomed Reverend Len and Judy Bjorkman of Owego to speak on their experiences in the Middle East.

Len, who spent more than 30 years in service to the Cayuga/Syracuse Presbyterians, had the good fortune to spend some time early on his journey in the ministry in the Middle East.

“From 1953 to 1956,” Len said. “Between college and the seminary, I taught at a school in the Middle East, a school in Tripoli. And since then we have been lucky enough to have the opportunity to go back several times.”

During their travels, the Bjorkmans have had the opportunity to see first hand the troubles facing this region.

They have traveled to Iran, Iraq, Egypt and Turkey, among other locations, an area that is large and diverse in its people and its faiths.

Len and Judy explained that Iran for example is larger than Alaska; Iraq is the size of the northeast part of the United States, from Maine to Pennsylvania, while other countries, such as Lebanon are smaller than Connecticut and Israel is about the size of New Jersey.

But within this area there are people of all faiths, Christian, Muslim and Jewish, being the predominant faiths.

This is also an area that has been torn apart both by politics and the military.

Len said there are more than five million displaced Iraqi refugees from the war in Iraq that has entered its seventh year.

Many of these refugees have made their way to places such as Jordan and Syria, putting a strain on already economically weak countries.

Len said many of the couple's visits to the area have been with the Iraq Partnership Network.

This is an organization comprised of Presbyterian Church USA, Reformed Church of America and United Church of Christ.

Their mission has been to help nourish the Christian faith, what Len referred to as “Sowing the Seeds of Faith,” the title of his discussion.

While one has to only turn on the news on any given day to see that peace is not prevalent in the region, Len asked those gathered to look at peace in another light.

Referring to a reading from the Book of Mark, Len said it is not so much the seeds that need to be looked at, but whether or not they are growing.

“God has a broader comprehension of the word peace,” Len said. “We have to think about God's will. It is a challenge for us. But just because we are sowing the seeds doesn't mean there aren't some serious problems in these places.”

Len focused much of his talk on Iraq and Israel/Palestine, particularly the Gaza Strip. In these regions, Len said people of the Christian faith struggle to express themselves freely and safely.

Len said for example in Baghdad, for example, a church elder was shot several times, but was fortunate enough to survive.

This act led to the creation of a prayer, written by members of IPN. Len believes there is proof that the prayer, which asks for wisdom, understanding and forgiveness in Iraq, has worked.

Len and Judy received an e-mail from members of the Presbyterian Church in Kirkuk.

It said members of the church visited the prisons in the region and spoke with the inmates about their faith and found the inmates receptive to their ideas and believe their visit made a difference in their lives.

Len pointed to other organizations such as the Christian Peacemakers Team, which despite threats and the killing of one of its leaders, Tom Fox, has continued to work in the region to create better understanding.

Len said all of these acts are sowing the seeds that will lead to peace and understanding in the Middle East.