“The only thing people are thinking about is how to survive here or how to escape,” says Aisha Khurram. She is a 22-year-old Afghan student at Kabul University. She watched her country fall to an Islamist terrorist group called the Taliban. The government of Afghanistan has crumbled. Terribly sad changes are coming to Afghanistan.
In 1 Corinthians 14:33, Paul says, “God is not a God of confusion but of peace.” It helps to remember that truth, as life seems to be falling apart in Afghanistan.
Before taking over Kabul, the capital, the Taliban captured one part of Afghanistan after another. Families fled homes. The Taliban took control of the towns. Men carrying the white and black flag of the Taliban walked through empty city streets. Residents hid indoors.
For Aisha and millions of other Afghans, there is no way out. Land borders are closed. Embassies are shut. There is a feeling that “everybody turned their back on the Afghan people,” says Aisha.
Many United States military veterans who bravely served in Afghanistan watched in sad shock as America withdrew its troops from the country. Some Afghans who had helped the United States got to evacuate. But many were left behind—including some Christian Afghans. “Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never permit the righteous to be moved,” says Psalm 55:22. Even in the darkest moments, God promises He does not abandon those whom He loves.
The Taliban is an evil regime. It has ruled Afghanistan in the past. It’s likely the group will take away many freedoms that Afghans have had in the last 20 years. Under the strict Islamic law that the Taliban honors, women have no rights. They may not show their faces in public. Girls older than eight may not go to school. Women are not allowed to work. The Taliban harshly punishes anyone who disobeys.
We know who created each person in Afghanistan. And we know how loving and merciful He is. Though there is much we don’t understand, we can trust that God is in control. While we wait on the Lord on behalf of the people in Afghanistan, we can pray.
Why? When there is oppression and war in the world, Christians need to know so that we can pray and help.
