As we consider international missions and "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost", we must also consider the impact of this on our own daily actions and priorities. A great place to start is by praying for other nations and peoples. Remembering that our true citizenship is in heaven, we must shed our jingoistic opinions and re-shape our approaches away from xenophobic tendencies toward other countries and cultures realizing that we are all sinners and we all need the salvation that comes from faith in Jesus Christ and, ultimately, His death and resurrection. There are no exceptions to this and no one person needing this salvation more than another one. With that being said, to my knowledge, the Bible has no evidence of God preferring Americans, Anglo-Saxons, Ethiopians, Europeans or those from Tazmania. It has been over 2000 years since the news got out that the door was open for Jews and Gentiles alike to follow and become disciples of Jesus.
Today, my attention was drawn to a little publicized civil war in the Ivory Coast (also known by its Colonial French name of COTE D'IVOIRE).
A headline reads Hundreds Killed in Ivory Coast Massacre. The article is a horrific account of what is happening int hat country. It seems as if Laurent Gbagbo, is to blame since after losing the election to Alassane Ouattara, he is no longer the recognized president of the nation (Mr. Ouattara is recognized by the African Union as being the formal victor in the free elections).
Gbagbo is being blamed for the majority if not all of the civilian deaths in the resulting uprisings. Gbagbo is willing to take his country down with him as the entire nation has gone into a tailspin of violence and economic collapse.
As civilians take refuge in a Catholic mission, many more face the day to day struggle to just survive. Missions are very important in nations like this and the stalwart and self-less perseverance of mission staff can be a matter of life and death, in addition to eternal life and eternal condemnation.
In a nation of about 21 million where the median age is only 19 years the religious break down is Muslim 38.6%, Christian 32.8%, indigenous 11.9%, none 16.7%. So you can probably see just based on this where some of the divisional boundaries lie among the people.
Please pray that peace comes to the nation. That God moves in the hearts of the citizens to come to amicable conclusions as to who should run the country, that cooler heads prevail and that God enables missionaries on the ground and missionaries not yet there safety that they may glorify Him and touch the souls of the corrupt and well-meaning alike that they should come to believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and savior.
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