Oh Afghanistan … What Can We Do for You?

It is not a doubt that the country of Afghanistan and many of its neighboring countries are in a mess of political and religious wars that have gone on for centuries. After 20 years we have left there and it leaves many of us wondering why or why did we go there in the first place? How can we help in a holy war that is not ours?

I decided to read a lot of the history of this country and it’s like re-reading the battles of the Old Testament over and over again. When you leave Jehovah, things just don’t work very well. I get it because I’m one of those who can easily walk “my way” instead of God’s way. In fact, we all do it to some degree or another.

Here’s the rub though, this country has a religion that is bound to kill one another if they don’t believe the way this sect says it should be. It’s one thing to have arguments and disagreements—our denominations have been doing it in the Western world for centuries. But to kill, to claim women as less than a cow, to not give children schooling—for instance, the Taliban boiled a woman to death the other day because the food she made for them wasn’t satisfactory. My heart and soul hurts for her and her family and I know if that is my feeling, imagine how God feels? These people may not follow him or think they do in their pagan religion, but they are still God’s children and God loves them deeply.

So what do we do? After 20 years, little has been accomplished. Many lives of our soldiers taken in death or living with the horrible things they have seen and experienced resulting in PTSD, physical damage to their bodies, etc. I don’t have the answer, God does however, and in 1 John 3:17 it is spelled out very well: “If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?”  I read that and I think, “O Lord, what can we do?” Or perhaps, “what have we left undone—or what have we done?”

This takes me back to the 90’s when finally the Berlin Wall was taken down. Remember the words of President Reagan, “Mr. Gorbachev, take down that wall” – what else do you remember? I know there were all kinds of entertainers there, rock stars, political rallies, music, etc., that rallied around the Brandenburg Gate. But there is one thing that was left out of this liberation … God.

In fact, many church leaders from America and Germany asked if the Rev. Billy Graham would conduct a rally at the Brandenburg Gate. Indeed he said yes and the rest is history. He wrote about the one East German woman who had come over the wall to greet him. She said, “Dr. Graham, I expected to hear church bells ringing and be given a Bible since the Communists would not allow us to have a Bible. But all I was greeted with was a $50 voucher to spend at the luxury stores in West Berlin. Sir, what I really needed to hear was the voice of God.”

Graham wrote in many of his sermons and then memoirs of this woman’s conversation as it haunted him deeply. What freedom is there if the freedom of Christ is not shared? He often told Ruth that we “missed the point of taking down the wall” and her answer was “what are you going to do about it?” It took a while, but finally a Billy Graham Evangelism Outreach came to Germany and so many lost souls who had their faith trampled by the Communist regime, found their way back to the God who never quit loving them.

I think we do a disservice to the world when we try to alleviate suffering using only material things. Yes, we give with what we have and what we can do, but what Afghanistan needs more than ever is no different than East Germany did—they need to hear the voice of God!

Yes, it is a risk because the Taliban and Al Qaida love killing Christians, but they are NO FORCE against the God of the Universe, the Great Jehovah who called this planet and all people into being. This awesome God who gave his only Son to die for our sins and give us eternal life. Oh no, these evil-doers are not strong, in fact, they are but tinker-toys—yet a fear of them allows their strength to grow and continue to kill their own people and disrupt any kind of peace in their country (as well as their threats and bombing of other countries around the world).

Friends, it is ONLY the Gospel that can meet the deepest need of every human being no matter where they live and no matter if they do or do not have any kind of faith. As we try to help our brothers and sisters in these oppressed nations, we must never neglect to share the love of Christ with them. It isn’t easy, but then again it isn’t in our strength that we can even do this. We can only step out in faith knowing that God is leading us, not the mighty armies of the USA or anyone else—it is God and God alone. It’s a tough call for us, but the Bible tells us over and over again that we are “blessed to be a blessing” – even when it’s hard to do so.

I keep asking God to fill my heart with more compassion and show me how I can be helpful to those folks in Afghanistan.

I hope you will join me in that prayer because God can use us, even half-way around the world—we just must be willing!