USA (MNN) — World leaders condemn violence in the U.S. capitol as President Trump promises an “orderly transition” of power on January 20th, the Associated Press reports. Nonetheless, a state of emergency remains in effect in Washington, D.C. through Inauguration Day.
Protestors stormed Capitol Hill, broke into federal buildings, and clashed with police on Wednesday, leaving four people dead and dozens behind bars. Heart for Lebanon’s Tom Atema says the scenes looked eerily similar to chaos in Beirut.
“Prayer is a big deal, especially when these kinds of situations [arise],” Atema says.
“It’s a call to prayer; for the believers in Jesus Christ to be praying for our leaders and our country as a whole.”
The FBI is asking for the public’s help in identifying people who took part in Capitol Hill’s violence. Yesterday, protestors gathered in capital cities across the U.S.
As emotion runs high on all sides, Atema calls believers to their knees. Only by prayer and the love of Christ can we overcome political and social divides, he says.
“I know that sounds real mushy; kind of like [a] Valentine’s Day [message] wrapped with a song and a rose. But it goes to the heart of the matter of what we’re trying to accomplish as Christians,” Atema says.
“We need to pray and try to get God’s mind [about] how to operate in such a divided culture. The only way that I know has any chance of crossing those divides is by loving one another as Christ has loved us.”
With every endeavor covered in prayer, Lebanese believers cross social, political, and religious divides to share Christ’s love with their neighbors. Read our past coverage to learn more.
Remember, Atema says, “Politics do not control the world. We might think they do, but there’s something greater than that. There’s a higher power, and that’s Jesus Christ and God the Father.”
Header image is a stock photo of Capitol Hill obtained via Unsplash.
