Faith In Afghanistan

Are we living in the end times? Maybe, maybe not. Certainly, it must feel like it for Christians in Afghanistan. 

Taliban Take Over

Let me introduce you to Mindy. She is a young girl, whose father, Juma, is a church leader, among the small number of Christians in Afghanistan, a majority Muslim country. About two years ago, Mindy’s entire family converted after learning of the love of Jesus. Then, Juma and other church leaders did something amazing. . . and dangerous. They decided to change their religious affiliation on their national identification cards.

All Afghans have a national ID card. ID cards are required to travel, buy groceries; for almost everything. Religious affiliation tends to be handed down by the father. Juma changed his for the sake of his children and grandchildren. At the time, Mindy’s mother, Zahra, argued that this was not a good idea. She said, “Now, government records show us as Christians.” Her worries were well founded. Since the take over, the Taliban has targeted Christians. 

Christians Threatened

The day before full takeover by the Taliban, Mindy witnessed something terrifying. A man, suspected of being in the Afghan military, was dragged out of his house into the street and shot in the head. Mindy has had nightmares ever since.

Soon after, Juma received a letter from the Taliban. She listened from the other room as her mother read the letter to her father. One sentence reminded her of the man being dragged out of his house. It said, “We know where you are, and we know what you’re doing.” Mindy knew this meant the Taliban has access to the government records. Next, Mindy heard her mother say, “The Taliban have visited other Christian homes. We will be next.” 

Zahra cried, saying, “God must not exist. God cannot possibly love us. He has abandoned us. . . even though we have been faithful.” All night long, her Juma and Zahra argued. After many hours, through the closed window, Mindy could see the sun coming up. Then, she heard her mom say, “It is almost morning. We should prepare for our morning prayers.” And they did. 

Future In Afghanistan?

What will happen to Mindy? We don’t know what the future holds, but we do know who holds the future. Let us pray for courage. Let us pray that Mindy is able to lift up her eyes to Jesus, the one enthroned in heaven, the one who loves us and cares for us. 

 “I lift up my eyes to you, to you who sits enthroned in heaven.”

Psalm 123:1

Regardless of our circumstances, we lift our eyes to our heavenly father. Are we living in the end times? Maybe, maybe not. It doesn’t really matter. Our response is still the same. We keep doing what Jesus commanded anyway: preach the Gospel and shine the light of Jesus’ love to the world around us.

P.S. This story is based on real events, with the names changed to protect individual identities.

Copyright © 2023 Chuck Locklear

Also, see Jesus Was a Radical.