France (MNN) – The French Prime Minister has resigned in the face of a no-confidence vote. France’s president has proposed a replacement, but the political and economic fallout is long-reaching and undeniable.
France isn’t the country you’d expect to be facing government collapse. Many countries make headlines for economic or political instability, but France isn’t usually one of them. David Durance of TeachBeyond says:
“We recognize that the whole world is kind of groaning at the moment, and we think that, ‘Oh, that’s only going to be in Syria. Oh, that’s only going to be in some parts of Ukraine, et cetera.’ I think what we’re actually seeing from Bolivia to France to Syria,to some places that we’re working on in creative access in Southeast Asia, is that there actually are seismic shifts happening underneath all that’s going on.”
In other words, tensions in France’s Parliament are symptoms of a global need for God-given stability. “When we see no-confidence votes, when we see a government fall, what looks like unexpectedly, we recognize that underneath there is unrest,” Durance says. “There’s unrest right now around the world, […] much closer to home than we might think.”
This kind of unrest goes against the fundamental basis of Christianity. Scripture calls believers to be bearers of peace and to speak peace into a culture of turmoil. That’s what TeachBeyond wants to do—but that’s easier said than done when staff numbers are down.
“When we see unrest, it becomes very difficult for us to start a recruitment cycle,” Durance says. “Right now, it’s full on. We’re trying to recruit 100 missionaries right now, and a good portion of those go to Europe.” That’s much more difficult when the same governments that are supposed to distribute passports and process travel visas don’t have leaders.
Pray that TeachBeyond will be able to fill those roles and find teachers and missionaries, because the need is great. “The more unrest and unsettledness, the more the Gospel is sharper in those areas,” Durance says. “As we deliver Christian education, for example in France, we want to be the bearers of the hope that brings.”
If you want to participate in the work TeachBeyond is doing, we’ll connect you right here. If you can’t go, pray.
“Father, as we pray for peace, may the Gospel be the agent of change in countries. We don’t want a band-aid; we’re looking for the ultimate solution to seeing peace come.”
Header photo courtesy of Unsplash.
