I'm sure you all know the oft-quoted verse from Isaiah heard so frequently during the Christmas season:
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
It's the last phrase- "Prince of Peace"- that weighs on my heart this month as I ask for prayer for the Beng.
Ivory Coast, once the picture of stability on an unstable continent, has encountered political turmoil since 1999 and civil war since 2002. Many have hoped that a free and fair election would bring peace and stability back to Ivory Coast, but elections have been canceled 6 times in the past 5 years.
Elections were finally held in October, with a run-off in late November. The current president (from the largely non-M*slim south of the country) is facing a popular candidate (from the largely M*slim north of the country). Initially, run-off results showed that the northern candidate had won, but later some of the results were annulled and the current president was declared the winner.
Though some Ivorians have taken to the streets in protest and a few have been killed in the process, I suspect that the vast majority of people in Ivory Coast (the Beng included) just want peace. Instead, their present situation is one of confusion, uncertainty, and fear.
Not only do they face less-than-peaceful circumstances, but many do not know the Prince of Peace mentioned in the verse above. Pray that the political situation in Ivory Coast will lead many to seek out God as a source of peace and comfort. Think of the Beng as you hear this verse from Isaiah this month.
