Ethiopia

In the spring of 2018 I taught a course titled, "Ethnic and Religious Conflict" at North Central College in Naperville, IL. The undergrad course (for juniors and seniors only) explored how ethnic and religious conflicts (think: genocide) begin, conflate, and find resolution. I used multiple academic articles, and the following for our central textbooks: 

• Ethnic Conflict: A Systemic Approach to Cases of Conflict, Jesse, Williams (2011)
• Conflict Analysis: Understanding Causes, Unlocking Solutions, Matthew Levinger (2013)
• Ethnic Conflict: A Global Perspective, Stefan Wolff (2006) 

Preparing for the course was eye-opening, as was teaching the course. We looked at conflicts ranging from the Armenian genocide to the Rwandan conflict to Northern Ireland to (fill in the blank - we covered a lot of ground globally). It was with great joy that I noted the recent peace agreement in Ethiopia (https://www.barrons.com/articles/want-to-slow-delay-or-reverse-dementia-try-this-classic-game-11667249462  and https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/11/3/how-did-the-world-react-to-the-ethiopia-peace-deal and https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/analysis-truce-in-ethiopias-tigray-war-just-first-step-on-long-road-to-peace/ar-AA13HEnK for context). Ongoing peacekeeping will be complex.

Global conflicts are nothing new. The Council on Foreign Relations lists ongoing global conflicts in real time: https://www.cfr.org/global-conflict-tracker/. Of current conflict, the most significant conflict happening with the furthest reaching effects is happening in Ukraine. We should recognize its importance and realize its critical importance on geopolitics, commerce, and worldview. 

War is sometimes necessary. Sin is the culprit, which often incites the need for groups to prove their worth and voice by violent means either as real/perceived oppressors or real/perceived oppressed. Sometimes people just want to hurt others for their own sense of superiority. Evil is, after all, real.

There are various approaches to establishing peace and understanding conflict. My purpose in this post is not to delve into how peace is brokered. Rather, my purpose is to point out that though not all global conflicts have equal global implications (like Ukraine), they should all warrant Christian global compassion and concern. Real people are hurting. In the aftermath of the Ethiopian conflict, trust will be fragile and integrity will take time to build. A key role in missions future for Ethiopia will be to establish Christian voices of reason and perspective. The Christian sees the world for what it is - good, bad, ugly. We understand the root of it all is corrupted self, and that hope exists outside of our selfish ambitions. And we understand each generation must make the selfless choice over and over again. Little wonder that many non-Christian peacemaking organizations value Christian missionaries and Christian aid organizations in these moments. It is a matter of pragmatism. Christians value being good Samaritans, establishing help for the sick and wounded, for sharing our coats and soup, and all without a quid pro quo. Christians don't hold hostage kindness in the name of witness. Rather, Christians recognize that some of the most powerful points of witness are when we come alongside of others, where/when deep questions about ourselves and the world around us are asked. We may not have all the answers, but we know the One who is the Answer. Witness and mission in this context are not about choosing between compassion or witness, nor is it a substitution of witness for compassion (something we sadly see happening often in Christian social ministries). Rather, it's about openly showing the Way while demonstrating and articulating that the Way, Truth, and Life has changed you as well. We introduce others to a Person, not a system. And we do so relationally, not through indoctrination.

Since conflict is global and comes for us all...we may find ourselves not just on the giving end, but on the receiving end of that Christian mission. So we should pay attention to global conflicts, the sin inherent in them, and the godliness which may shine in contrast. The people of Ethiopia are thankful for any night's sleep that isn't accompanied by fear of violence. It's future might yet be marked by a night's sleep where divine love, hope, and communities of faith surround them.