“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”-Matthew 5:10-12
As inspiring as those words may be on paper, they may seem a hollow comfort in the face of human brutality.
Frontier Alliance International, an organization dedicated to reaching unreached people groups with the message of Christ recently released a statement confirming the worst fears of many: in addition to the atrocities committed against women, the Taliban are systematically hunting and killing Christians. [1]
“The Taliban has a hit list of known Christians they are targeting to pursue and kill. The US Embassy is defunct and there is no longer a safe place for believers to take refuge. All borders to neighboring countries are closed and all flights to and from have been halted, with the exception of private planes.”
As the situation became more desperate, the United States government activated the so-called “Civil Reserve Air Fleet,”a cadre of private airlines, including American Airlines, Delta Airlines, Atlas Air and Omni Air, to transport Americans and Afghan allies out of Afghanistan. [2]
Although this Civil Reserve Fleet may have been a source of salvation for some, the United States’ role in this evacuation effort has also been contradictory and unreliable.
Humanitarian workers on the ground reported that, for unknown reasons, the United States State Department appeared to be blocking private planes from carrying civilians to nations who were willing to accept Afghan refugees. [4]
Worse, as chaos at the airport increased, thousands were turned away and most recent reports are that there are no more flights for any refugees trying to flee the country. [5]
To the grief of all, it appears that no rescue is coming for many Christian families.
In the wake of this kind of persecution, Christians around the world have an obligation to help their brothers and sisters in the faith by whatever means are possible. Sadly, it seems that we have very few ways to give immediate help. However, we can still pray and that is a powerful tool God has given to us.
As it says in Ephesians 6:18 “…pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”
As many Afghani Christians wait in fear of the Taliban, they have reached out to international hotlines for comfort and to share their story. They are no longer safe from even keeping Bibles downloaded on their phones due to Taliban fighters searching them for evidence of conversion. [3]
We have a duty to pray for our brothers and sisters in Afghanistan and to help those who have managed to flee persecution. If it is at all possible, we can also support those in need with donations to responsibly managed funds.
1 Timothy 6:17-18 reflects this very sentiment of generosity: “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.”
Let us not become so absorbed with our comfortable lives across the sea that we cannot recognize or care for our brethren who are in pain and need.
Foundations of Truth hereby waives all claim of copyright (economic and moral) in this work and immediately places it in the public domain; it may be used, published, edited, and distributed in any manner whatsoever without any attribution or notice to Foundations of Truth.
[1] “Afghanistan: Official Statement From Leaders In The Underground Church,”FAI (August 17, 2021), https://www.faimission.org/wire/afghanistan-official-statement-underground-church
[2] Andrew Solender, “Pentagon Commandeers 18 Commercial Planes To Help Afghanistan Evacuation,” Forbes (August 22, 2021), https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewsolender/2021/08/22/pentagon-commandeers-18-commercial-planes-to-help-afghanistan-evacuation/?sh=5af068b429e7
[3] ‘We Are Coming for You': Afghanistan's Christians Continue to Call for Prayers Amid Reports of Taliban Persecution, CBN (August 23, 2021), https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/cwn/2021/august/we-are-coming-for-you-afghanistans-christians-continue-to-call-for-prayers-amid-reports-of-taliban-persecution
[4] https://wallbuilders.com/watch-glenn-beck-in-middle-east-biden-admin-lying-to-us-on-afghanistan-evacuation/
[5] Alejandro Bermudez, Shannon Mullen, and Matt Hadro, “Desperate Afghan Christians turned away at airport, aid groups say,” Catholic News Agency (August 25, 2021), https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/248773/desperate-afghan-christians-turned-away-at-airport-aid-groups-say
