By Alex Pollock, Gigi Kotze, Jeremiah Goddard, Gustav Krös, Katelin van Zyl and Donnelly McCleland
Several records were set or broken in 2023. Most were natural or man-made crises. And yet, Solomon said it well in Ecclesiastes 1:9: “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” As such, none of the topics dealt with below are new but in each, you will find perhaps a new perspective, new insight, or a new invitation. Don’t rush through this article. Take your time. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide you through and show you something new, something you haven’t seen or understood before. Ask Him to lay particular situations or people on your heart to pray for, not a short prayer in passing, but a compassionate, heartfelt and enduring prayer. Let Him take you by the hand and lead you. Whether you read from start to finish or skim until He stops you, or whether you go straight to a section which interests you, may you experience His presence as you journey afresh with Him through this broken and needy world, and may He grow His character in you as you read.
WAR
This year (2023) saw an increase in conflict in several global regions. ACLED, a global conflict tracking agency, highlighted four global conflicts that topped its monitoring categories. Russia’s war with Ukraine was named 2023’s most deadly conflict (ACLED’s report was published in September, before Hamas’ 7 October attack on Israel and Israel’s subsequent retaliatory war in Gaza), Palestine (before 7 October) was named the conflict with the most diffusion across the country, Myanmar had the most active groups involved in the conflict, and Mexico was named the most dangerous for civilians. Each of the above-mentioned conflicts is an ongoing situation that has carried over from 2022 or prior, however, 2023 also saw the outbreak of new conflicts. Sudan became engulfed in violent conflict in April, and Nagorno-Karabakh tensions reached a head between Armenia and Azerbaijan in September.
All these conflicts received extensive coverage within the secular news cycle throughout 2023 as highly destructive events. While this is true from a worldly perspective, what the secular media often fails to portray is the working of the Lord through war and conflict. We know as believers that there really is no complete human solution for war, and thus we must rely on the character and sovereignty of Christ to lead us to be peacemakers in the midst of so much conflict.
Throughout the year, INcontext also reported on each of these conflicts, but from an angle of hope and restoration. In Ukraine, despite warfare continuing throughout 2023, there were reports of people being the hands and feet of Jesus by remaining in danger zones to hand out food parcels, provide shelter to those whose homes were destroyed, and preach the Gospel to those without hope in times of suffering and uncertainty. For the citizens who have chosen to stay in Ukraine, there have been reports of a thriving and multiplying Church. In the last three months of 2022 and the beginning of 2023, the Ukrainian Baptist churches reported 2300 baptisms and 15,000 new visitors. One church, in partnership with Samaritan’s Purse, had 40 members after people began to flee, but since February 2022, this church has expanded to over 600 in a venue that holds only 200. This is not an isolated incident as many churches report record numbers of baptisms and new converts. The hope that is brought by the Ukrainian Church, through relief efforts in such a difficult season, has seen people turning to Christ where hope is difficult to find.
In Sudan, amid the heartbreaking reality of thousands having been killed and even more displaced, the Christian population, though few, has continued to meet for bible studies, church meetings, and outreaches. Those who continue to faithfully serve those around them while suffering themselves are demonstrating the power and perseverance that is cultivated from following Christ, truly shining their lights amid great darkness.
The recent war between Israel and Hamas, which began on 7 October, has undoubtedly become the most highly covered war of 2023. While death and destruction have been experienced on both sides, it is in times of such confusion and trauma that the Lord often works miracles. The protracted nature of many of the world’s current wars, including the Middle East conflict, demonstrates our deep need for a Saviour. The reality is, that as war rages on in areas of the world that are home to people of other religions, people are dying without the hope of eternal life with Christ. In conflict zones, such as Nagorno-Karabakh, a disputed region between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Christian-majority Armenia has the opportunity to show Muslim-majority Azerbaijan what it means to be a peacemaker. James 3:17-18 is an incredible encouragement to believers who desire to be peacemakers in the way of the Prince of Peace: “But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace-loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favouritism and is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.” Though war continues to dominate the mainstream news cycle, we as Christians can take heart because Christ has overcome the world (John 16:33) and we know that the current suffering cannot compare to the glory that is to come (Romans 8:18). May the global Church continue to pray that all will come to the knowledge of these truths.
HUMANITARIAN CRISES
Global humanitarian needs broke several records in 2023. Worldwide, 360 million people needed humanitarian assistance, an increase of 30% since January 2022. More than 110 million have been forced from their homes and over 260 million face acute food insecurity, with some at risk of famine. The causes of these humanitarian crises have not changed: unresolved conflicts have intensified while new wars began, having a devastating impact on civilians; crashing economies, in the aftermath of the long-term effects of COVID-19, have impacted the most vulnerable; sustainable development has stagnated or reversed, and natural disasters killed thousands of people and displaced millions in the past year.
Most of the countries in the table below, except Ethiopia and Kenya, are Muslim-majority countries. God uses crises of many kinds to draw people to Himself and to question their beliefs and religion. Could God be using these devastating crises to bring about the questioning of Islam, its way of life and the effects of Sharia law? Could God be using these heart-breaking situations to scatter people from nations with little access to the gospel to nations where the Gospel is more freely available, and they can experience the love of God through faithful believers? Could God be shaking the dominion and reign of darkness in these nations – revealing His marvellous light and unfailing truth through humanitarian crises?
Somalia, Afghanistan, Syria, Türkiye, and Yemen all have a very small Christian presence. The larger Body of Christ has the beautiful privilege of praying in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion, staying alert and persistent in our prayers for all believers everywhere (Eph 6:18), especially for our brothers and sisters in these areas. Though they are a minority, Christ, the hope of glory, is in them (Colossians 1:27) and on display to all they meet, despite and amid their own suffering.
When we view these crises through natural eyes, we can very easily despair. However, we can trade our perspective ‘glasses’ with God’s – knowing that He is Sovereign, in control and that He sees the pain and suffering of each person affected by a humanitarian crisis – and thus believe with all our hearts that He works all things for good and that He works all things for the glory of His name among the nations.
The table below summarises some of the ‘forgotten’ and most widespread, devastating crises of 2023:
THE HORN OF AFRICA (Kenya, Ethiopia & Somalia)
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Key Facts: 43 million+ need assistance
32 million are acutely food insecure Causes: Drought (2020-2023), subsequent rains Impacts: 2.7 million regionally displaced 13 million livestock died – destroying livelihoods. Rains brought some but also new threats – diseases, livestock loss and crop damage. Effects: Malnutrition high among pregnant and breastfeeding women – increased risk of severe, if not fatal, pregnancy complications. Increase in psychological impacts, gender-based violence, rape and child marriage, and higher rate of girls dropping out of school. |
AFGHANISTAN
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Key Facts: 29 million+ in need (over half children), 15.3 million are acutely food insecure
Causes: Decades of conflict, recurrent natural disasters, and sharp economic decline. Taliban takeover (August 2021) exacerbated situation. Impacts: ±60% of households face barriers accessing safe water, cholera and other diseases pose significant threats. 22.1 million require protection assistance, 8.7 million children need education support. Effects: UNHCR reports that forced return of refugees from Pakistan will deepen crisis as returnees have no work or shelter. |
SYRIA & TÜRKIYE
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Key Facts: 15.3 million in Syria need assistance (including 7 million children and 4.5 million women).
5.1 million in Türkiye need assistance Causes: Conflict for over a decade in Syria (world’s largest refugee crisis – 14 million refugees and 6.8 million internally displaced). Impacts: 70% of people need assistance and 90% live below the poverty line. On 6 February, two powerful earthquakes struck south-eastern Türkiye and northern Syria, claiming thousands of lives, destroying homes and infrastructure and displacing hundreds of thousands. Effects: the earthquakes added to Syria’s extensive crises |
YEMEN
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Key Facts: remains one of the world’s largest humanitarian crisis
21.6 million require aid
Causes: years of conflict, increasing food and fuel prices, collapsing public services, economic crises. Impacts: 80% are food insecure and have limited access to basic services. Yemen remains on verge of collapse. Large-scale displacement. Effects: Ongoing crises have exacerbated vulnerability of women and children – exploitation, violence and abuse, child marriage, human trafficking, and child labour. Increased malnutrition – 2 million+ children suffering acute malnutrition, 540,000+ suffering severe malnutrition. |
REFUGEES AND MIGRATION
The number of refugees worldwide has increased every year to record levels. While 2022 saw the largest jump in displaced people since World War II, all indications are that 2023 shows a worsening trajectory. If current trends continue, it is estimated that there will be 1.7 billion refugees worldwide by 2050. Approximately 114 million people have been displaced by war, crime, and persecution. Looking at such statistics, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and even complacent, not knowing where to begin. However, when we look at refugee populations worldwide, we see a growing and maturing church. We see a loving Heavenly Father who cares for the widows and orphans and invites us to do the same.
What follows are mere snapshots of developing migration patterns in Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Africa (2022-2023) saw approximately 40 million people displaced, mostly due to the war in Sudan, the world’s fastest-growing displacement crisis. Churches and ministries in Egypt and Chad have been instrumental in meeting the needs of Sudanese refugees. The churches in these areas are no strangers to persecution and the unique challenges of Christians in Muslim-majority or ethnically fractured nations. Due to this conflict, Sudanese who have fled to neighbouring countries, have found churches with open arms and hearts.
In Europe, the ongoing war in Ukraine has displaced around six million people in 2023. Several receiving nations have provided ‘safe havens’ to many traumatised Ukrainians. In Germany, for example, assistance has been offered through formal and Christian channels and has included language integration courses, trauma counselling workshops, community projects to send aid to Ukraine and, in this, allowing Ukrainians a platform to help their compatriots. Community centres (e.g. ‘Welcome Café) have been established so that Ukrainians can cook together and grow relationships and connections. Bible reading groups have also been formed.
In Asia, from the ongoing crisis in Afghanistan to that of the persecuted Rohingya, Asia has also seen a sharp increase in refugees. In Afghanistan, over the past two years since the Taliban takeover, the Church has seen an exponential increase in persecution. However, non-Christian citizens have also seen increased difficulties, with reports of door-to-door searches and increased pressure from the Taliban, causing many Muslims to question their faith. Over the past couple of years, the Afghan Church has seen record growth, despite increased persecution.
In the Americas, Venezuelan refugees account for nearly eight million migrants and asylum seekers, found mostly in Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, and Chile. The Darien Gap, a dangerous and dense jungle separating Central and South America, has seen a doubling of crossings over the past year. Asylum seekers and refugees fleeing El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras have mostly been displaced by intense violent crime, poverty, and government repression. Churches in South and Central America, together with those in the US, have played a pivotal role in trying to meet the basic needs of the refugees and asylum seekers in the region. In these areas that are majority Christian, the influx of refugees has brought new opportunities for the Church to be the physical hands and feet of Christ to those that need it most.
In all the regions of the world affected by migration, we see God moving in new and mighty ways. We know that most of these movements of people are due to war, crime, and chaos – an unfortunate consequence of sin in our world. However, what we see is the Church both growing and deepening in its faith following the sifting process of COVID and multiple other crises.
GEOPOLITICS
Geopolitically, 2023 saw a continuation of the polarisation between the East and the West, with some alliances growing in strength, as was seen, for example, between Russia and North Korea. China continued to solidify itself as the leader of the East, with Russia, Iran, and North Korea as close associates. While in the West, America continued its leadership role among its European allies but continued to lose ground geopolitically to the Chinese juggernaut.
The Middle East was one of the areas where China increased its influence, announcing itself on the international mediating stage by brokering a diplomatic agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran in March. The reinstalment of diplomatic relations brought an end to a seven-year rift between the two Islamic nations and was certainly a feather in China’s cap, as it is not a regular player on the international mediation stage.
The East-West battle for greater economic influence in the Global South continued throughout the year. A significant development was Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s visit to Africa in July. Mr Raisi’s whirlwind tour of Kenya, Uganda and Zimbabwe was the first visit by an Iranian leader to Africa since 2013 and this trip saw a total of 21 agreements signed, relating to economics, investment, technology, and agriculture.
All the regular geopolitical summits took place in 2023, including the G7 meeting in Japan, G20 in India, BRICS in South Africa, and a host of other meetings throughout the year. Despite the East-West divide, most leaders continued to navigate the geopolitical playing field to the best possible interest of their own countries. One example of this was India’s announcement, during the G20 summit in September, of its intention to create a multinational rail and shipping project, linking India to Europe, via the Middle East, that will be known as the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC). The project will rival China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) with whom India also sits around the BRICS table. China, however, does not appear concerned about the project as it celebrated its 10th anniversary of the BRI during a summit in October. The BRI remains the biggest multilateral development programme ever undertaken by a single country that includes the development of large-scale infrastructure, such as power plants, roads, railroads, and ports in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East.
As we look at the greater polarisation between the East and the West, and we see the rise of the Global South, we need to remind ourselves that God is in control of all the nations. As we read in Daniel 4:25 “…the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone He wishes.” We should thus not be dismayed when we see a communist nation like China growing in dominance in the geopolitical landscape, because God is using it for the expansion of His Kingdom. Over the past 10 years, we have seen how the relationships that China has built with many nations that are considered ‘unreached’ from a Christian perspective, have opened doors for Chinese believers to enter these nations as ambassadors for God’s Kingdom. Christians should thus become aware of the nations with which God has allowed their home country to have good geopolitical relations. This often leads to easier access, especially when it comes to visas, and Christians should thus be prepared to make use of the open doors presented for the sake of sharing the Gospel. When Christians speak about geopolitics, it should not sound like the way the world speaks. We need to look at what God is doing in the nations and see, and make use of, the opportunities He is giving us for the spreading of the Gospel and the expansion of His Kingdom.
COUP D’ÉTATS IN THE SAHEL
Towards the end of November, the junta leaders of Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso met to strengthen a newly formed alliance, focussed on collectively tackling violent extremism in their countries and throughout the Sahel region – termed the “global epicentre of jihadist violence” by some experts. Some analysts believe that another important goal of the partnership is to legitimise their military governments, which are facing coup-related sanctions and strained relations with neighbours. Just before Gabon became the eighth country to experience a successful coup in Africa since 2020, Niger joined the list of military-controlled states in the Sahel region.
On 26 July, a faction within Niger’s army overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum and installed General Abdourahmane “Omar” Tchiani as the country’s new leader. Bazoum had come to power in the first peaceful democratic transfer of power the country had seen since independence from France in 1960. France, along with the US, had come to consider Niger as the “cornerstone” of regional counter-terrorism efforts under Bazoum, especially after Mali’s coup in 2020 (and its subsequent “coup within a coup” nine months later). However, in September, Niger expelled French and EU forces, following the pattern in Mali and Burkina Faso. While anti-French sentiment has grown in the Sahel and its relationships with traditional allies have soured, Russia has positioned itself as an “anti-colonial” alternative partner for countries in the region, and Wagner Group mercenaries have been deployed in Mali and elsewhere. This highlights some key factors contributing to coups in the Sahel: 1.) legacies of colonialism and neocolonialism; 2.) the legacy of the Cold War-era proxy battle for influence; and 3.) the new power struggle between the global ‘West’ and ‘East’. The former US Special Envoy for the Sahel also pointed to a prevailing “crisis of state legitimacy” in much of the region. Poor governance, corruption, and economic distress are common conditions in many countries that experience coups.
Like most countries in the Sahel (a large component of the western third of the ‘10/40 Window’ – ‘least reached’ with the Gospel), Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso are Muslim-majority countries. However, Burkina Faso has a substantial Christian community (21.17% according to Joshua Project, in comparison with 2.8% in Mali and 1.57% in Niger) and is known for its religious tolerance. Despite this, Islamist violence is increasingly threatening believers in this country. Since Burkina Faso’s military coups in January and September 2022, violence carried out by militant Islamist groups has increased (in frequency and in geographic territory affected). Thousands have been displaced and by August 2023, the Africa Center for Strategic Studies reported that the number of people killed by militant Islamist violence had nearly tripled compared to the 18 months before the first coup. The capital Ouagadougou is gradually being encircled and over two dozen towns have been cut off from major thoroughfares – with inhabitants effectively living under militant Islamist group siege. Christians are among those trapped, persecuted, and cut off from the outside world. In this environment in Burkina Faso and the Sahel at large, it has become harder for foreign/Western missionaries to live and work. It has been noted that mission work has, through necessity, been assumed primarily by local and African missionaries and their sending churches, many of them from younger generations, while foreign mission partners have had to adapt their roles in coming alongside African leaders and initiatives. The global Church can pray for the Church in the Sahel to be courageous and effective in all they do unto the Lord and by His power, with faith, hope and love (1 Cor 13; 1 Thess 1:3; 5:8; Col 1:3-5).
CONCLUSION
This short ‘journey’ across the lengths and breadths of our world gave you only a glimpse of God’s heart for His creation. Did you hear His voice as you read? Did He challenge you or remind you of a previous challenge He set before you? How does He want you to use your time, talents or treasures to impact this world? It brings to mind Jesus’ words in Matthew 25:40: “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’” Heartache, loss, abandonment, dispossession, war, upheaval, any one of these could be happening right within your own home, your neighbourhood or your community. You may not have to go far or dig deep to make a difference. But, then again, you may need to go – go beyond your borders, or beyond what seems possible or feels comfortable. In it all, He is there, He is building His Church (Matthew 16:18), and He is healing the broken-hearted and binding up their wounds (Psalm 147:3); He is setting captives free (Isaiah 61:1); and He invites each of us to join Him and to be the bearers of His Good News and the tangible representation of His character to this world.
Image 1: Palestinians search for casualties at the site of Israeli strikes on houses in Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip. REUTERS/Anas al-Shareef
Image 2: Rescuers carry out a girl from a collapsed building following an earthquake in Diyarbakir, Türkiye. REUTERS/Sertac Kayar
Image 3: A Sudanese family who fled the conflict in Murnei in Sudan’s Darfur region, sit beside their belongings while waiting to be registered by UNHCR upon crossing the border between Sudan and Chad. REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra
Image 4: Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang shake hands during a meeting in Beijing, China. REUTERS/Iran’s Foreign Ministry/WANA (West Asia News Agency)
Image 5: File photo – In the middle of the Sahel desert in northern Mali, a soldier of the Malian Armed Forces (FAMa) is on an operation against armed terrorist groups (GAT). REUTERS/HANS LUCAS/Frédéric Pétry