In fact, on October 25 the United Nations said Afghanistan is on the brink of the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, worse even than Yemen or Syria. Out of 38 million people in the country, 23 million won’t have enough food to last the winter without more aid.

But the Taliban continues hunting down civilians who oppose their ideologies, including activists and Christians. Greg Kelley spoke to contacts of World Mission inside the country. He says, “Not only that, but they’re identifying communities. Because where there’s one Christian, in most cases there tend to be several Christians.”

An amazing encounter

Kelley heard a remarkable story from his contacts about a group of Taliban fighters that went out searching for a Christian community. “They went to this community and they killed them all. Now on their way back, they had an encounter with an angel, and this angel rebuked these men and gave them instructions on where to go. Now this someone (they would have no idea who this individual was) happened to be a leader of the underground church movement.”

Kelley says the Taliban fighters laid down their weapons before this church leader, who then proclaimed Jesus to them. Now, Christians have taken them in as disciples in the way of Jesus.

Kelley compares this story to what the Apostle Paul experienced while hunting for Christians. His encounter with the risen Jesus and subsequent conversion is recorded in Acts 9. He says this story should encourage Christians everywhere. “I think it just needs to be a reminder to all of us that we can’t put God in a box, even as we look at the horrors and tragedies of Afghanistan.”

The header photo shows a painting depicting the Apostle Paul’s encounter with the risen Jesus. (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, Public Doman) 

Continue to pray this ministry would reach many Afghans with the hope of Jesus.

Pray for the Taliban?

But Rogers also encourages readers to pray for the Taliban. “As human beings, we tend to categorize and think that person is too bad, too evil, too far gone – that they’re beyond God’s reach. Well, no one is beyond the reach of the Spirit of God. God is sovereign, and there’s nothing we can do to place ourselves beyond the reach of the power of the sovereignty of God. And that’s true of the Taliban.”

The risen Jesus visited the apostle Paul, a religious radical who used violence to advance his cause. Rogers says God can work in similar ways among the Taliban. “What if the next Billy Graham, so to speak, right now is a Taliban soldier? And he’s marvelously saved, coming to Christ. Because of his background, his language skills, his experience, and his communications ability, what if God in His providence begins to use him as a great evangelist?”

Jesus commanded His followers to pray for their enemies. Ask God to change many hearts among the Taliban, and end their reign of violence and fear.

Rogers says Christianity has a future in Afghanistan, despite the terrible reign of the Taliban. He uses Iran as an illustration. “In 1979, when the Iranian Revolution took place, it completely changed the government into a new theocratic society. People said, ‘that’s it for Christianity in Iran. It’s never going to happen. They’re doomed. And yet missiologists tell us today that the church is growing faster in Iran than any other country of the world.”

Header photo courtesy of SAT-7.