When Joe Biden announced last May that all American troops would be leaving Afghanistan, nobody familiar with the country thought it would be able to stand up to the Taliban. The wobbly Afghan government, paid for and propped up by the United States since 2004, had never seemed to grow any stronger – or any less corrupt.
Meanwhile, the Taliban never seemed to give up. The Islamic fundamentalist group had been overthrown by the US invasion in 2001 and had been waging a persistent insurgency ever since. When the cold of winter came each year, they’d retreat south to Pakistan, where they’d rest and reorganize. When the weather warmed, they’d emerge and take control, mostly over southern rural areas.
US intelligence initially estimated that the Afghan national government could last about two years on its own. But you know this story. In just 10 days in August, while the Americans were still in the country, the Taliban swept through every single provincial capital, including Kabul. They advanced so quickly they even surprised themselves.
Caught off guard, thousands of Afghans began to run—especially those who feared for their lives: former employees of the collapsed government, those who had worked with Americans — and Christians.
The Christians were especially interesting, because while conversion was illegal even under the Afghan government, the number of believers had been steadily growing, from an estimated 2,000 in 2013 to about 10,000 in 2021.
While conversion was illegal even under the Afghan government, the number of believers had been steadily growing, from an estimated 2,000 in 2013 to about 10,000 in 2021.
How were so many hearing about Jesus? With everybody keeping their faith a secret, how were they connecting with each other? And how on earth were they going to get out?
Their story is gritty and dangerous, but it’s also a bright testimony to God’s amazing grace, which is why they wanted to share it with you.
To hear this story, I had to fly halfway around the world – but not to Afghanistan. I landed in Dubai, the largest city in the United Arab Emirates. In many ways, the UAE is a bridge between the Middle East and the West. While technically a Muslim country, the leaders don’t suppress the religion of foreigners. And since this oil-rich country is full of foreigners here for a job – literally, 9 out of 10 people are from somewhere else – the UAE has considerable freedom of religion.
That fact is critical to this story, which actually starts a few hours northeast, in Afghanistan, the country that replaced North Korea this year at the top of the World Watch List of the hardest places on the earth to be a Christian.
Chaotic crowds pressed together at the Kabul airport as thousands tried to escape Taliban rule in Afghanistan.
US intelligence initially estimated that the Afghan national government could last about two years on its own. But you know this story. In just 10 days in August, while the Americans were still in the country, the Taliban swept through every single provincial capital, including Kabul. They advanced so quickly they even surprised themselves.
Caught off guard, thousands of Afghans began to run—especially those who feared for their lives: former employees of the collapsed government, those who had worked with Americans — and Christians.
The Christians were especially interesting, because while conversion was illegal even under the Afghan government, the number of believers had been steadily growing, from an estimated 2,000 in 2013 to about 10,000 in 2021.
Christianity Is Growing
How were so many hearing about Jesus? With everybody keeping their faith a secret, how were they connecting with each other? And how on earth were they going to get out?
Their story is gritty and dangerous, but it’s also a bright testimony to God’s amazing grace, which is why they wanted to share it with you.
To hear this story, I had to fly halfway around the world – but not to Afghanistan. I landed in Dubai, the largest city in the United Arab Emirates. In many ways, the UAE is a bridge between the Middle East and the West. While technically a Muslim country, the leaders don’t suppress the religion of foreigners. And since this oil-rich country is full of foreigners here for a job – literally, 9 out of 10 people are from somewhere else – the UAE has considerable freedom of religion.
That fact is critical to this story, which actually starts a few hours northeast, in Afghanistan, the country that replaced North Korea this year at the top of the World Watch List of the hardest places on the earth to be a Christian.
The Gospel Coalition