Middle East (MNN) — Imagine a map of the world, with a small fire hovering over every country where active conflict is happening. There would be many fires to track, wouldn’t there?
People in the Middle East today live in the midst of conflicts that are anything but simple. Roots go deep, and history runs back for centuries or millennia. Different perspectives abound on people’s rights and responsibilities in these conflicts, even among followers of Christ.
“The Middle East is something that people are constantly wanting to fight over and fight for in different ways, for different reasons,” says a man we’ll call Brother H.
A woman we’ll call Sister L says, “We actually find it really exhausting to be involved in these conversations [about different perspectives], because we have really good friends from very different camps when it comes to the political, the biblical.”
Brother H and Sister L are Kurdish disciple-makers connected with Global Catalytic Ministries. Both grew up in war. Today, they are living out their Christian faith in a difficult context. They navigate many different perspectives on the wars in the Middle East, offering some of their own for others to consider.
“We share these things with hopefully a humility of ‘Look, we really don’t have the answers, but what we do know is it’s really complex, and we’re trying to work out every day what does this mean?’” says Sister L.
It’s not about what you think it’s about
“We’ve always felt, even growing up as kids, that it’s the resources that everyone’s fighting over, but [those in conflict] would say they’re fighting for other things,” says Sister L.
She sees Islam not as a threat worse than all others, but as just another world of brokenness to be praying into.
“Islam in itself is dark, but so is capitalism. So much Western politics is so dark. What you’re seeing when it comes to the Epstein files, these are all dark,” she says.
“But for some reason, the big thing that’s blown up in the West now — and even in the Christian world — is the danger of Islam and Iran and terrorism. I think this is a cover-up for all the other darkness that people don’t want to be dealing with.”
Brother H is a father who helps walk his kids through wartime realities — realities like those he grew up under.
“[We are] helping them focus on who God is and who we are in the context of God’s bigger story, and actually, what is our role during this time, to be able to represent and be the voice and the hands and feet of God,” he says. “I think that’s why for us, it’s really significant that we seek God’s presence. We seek God’s will in this.”
He adds that Christians must also answer God’s call to pray for leaders.
“You think about David and Saul. David never disrespected or dishonored [Saul]. He even had the opportunity to kill him, but he didn’t. So there’s an honoring and praying for our leaders, even though everything you see and read is so wrong, is so everything that you know is not from God.”
In all the complexities, Brother H believes only one place is safe to land.
“That the gospel is for all. What Jesus did on the cross is what’s important and what is significant. Now, [landing there] is easier said than done. However, God is in charge through it all,” he says.
“So how do you then journey with your kids? How do you then journey with those you’re discipling and the people you’re leading? It’s a very complex, multifaceted situation.”
Sister L believes that emotions are adding pain and complexity to the conflict today.
“I think the only place we can take it back to is what is on God’s heart when we see these things happening? How much is the political and the historical points of view impacting us? How much is the hurt and pain that various displaced peoples or journeys of trauma impacting everybody? How much is even our theology being impacted by that?”
Pray for God to rain down His wisdom on all of His people as we live in or closely watch the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Pray for soft hearts toward one another. Pray for wisdom for our leaders today.
Header photo courtesy of Lara Jameson via Pexels.
