The Straightline
Call to Prayer
by Eric Watt
Kabul, Afghanistan
The call to prayer began at 0545. All over the city people were already stirring, starting their day and, through this prayer, showing their allegiance to Allah and His prophet Mohammed. It would be the first of five prayers repeated every day.
From my kerosene heated room in the Kabul, Afghanistan guesthouse I committed my day to the risen Lord. The roosters began to crow and the sun eventually brought to light the beautiful snow capped mountains surrounding a city being re-born from the ashes of destruction, terror and war.
My prayers seemed lonely this morning. Of course, I know that believers were praying all over the world for this nation. But how many were praying from here? God deserves more than the distant prayers of His people pointed toward a far away land. He deserves the adoration and allegiance of people within this strategic land.
For centuries Kabul has been in the middle of the “great game,” a struggle for political power between Russia, China, Britain and the United States. Strategically located along the Silk Road, Afghanistan promises more than natural gas, precious gems and a hard working people – it is the passageway from east to west. The great economies and religions of this world have passed through Afghanistan to span the continents and influence civilization.
But perhaps the real “great game” is not political, but spiritual. Perhaps Afghanistan is part of a larger plan that God is orchestrating. The goods that will one day criss-cross this mountainous terrain will be the revelation of a loving God, full of mercy and forgiveness. It will travel from Asia back across the Muslim world to the holy city -- Jerusalem.
It is time for another call to prayer. This time I will ask for God to send His people to fill this land with His glory.
Central Asian Resources