By ICC Fellow Lisa Navarrette For generations, Lebanon was different. In much of the Middle East, Christians lived as minorities navigating political systems dominated by larger religious communities. In Lebanon, Christians helped build the political system itself. The country reserved the presidency for a Maronite Christian. Christian political parties shaped governments. Christian universities educated generations of Lebanese students. Churches, monasteries, schools, hospitals, businesses, and entire towns reflected a Christian presence that was neither hidden nor marginal. Lebanon became one of the strongest centers of Christian political and cultural influence in the Arab Middle East. But strength can erode slowly.