Hudson Valley towns, north of New York, have seen an influx of Hasidic Jews in recent years, and they have been suffering violent attacks following a deadly 10 December shooting rampage at a kosher market where six Jewish people died. New York City police received at least six reports of attacks in one week. Mayor Bill de Blasio promised an increased police presence in neighbourhoods with large Jewish populations. In London, anti-Semitic graffiti were daubed on a synagogue and several kosher shops during the Jewish festival of Hanukkah. The graffiti showed the Star of David and ‘911’, referencing anti-Semitic conspiracy theories that Jews are responsible for the 9/11 terror attack or Kristallnacht, the organised nationwide attack on Jews which began in Germany on 9 November 1938. In November newspaper headlines stated that anti-Semitism is on the rise in Europe, riding a wave of nationalism. See also

On Christmas Eve British-Australian academic Kylie Moore-Gilbert started an open-ended hunger strike in protest at being sentenced to ten years on espionage charges. She wants, at the very least, to be moved from solitary confinement, where she has been since October 2018. On 30 December British-Iranian Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe said she would go on hunger strike in solidarity with Kylie. Just before Christmas, Kylie wrote to the Australian prime minister, pleading for ministers to do more to secure her release. A third dual national, Fariba Adelkhah, is also on hunger strike. The French government has summoned the Iranian ambassador over her detention. A government spokesman rejected the publicity they are receiving, saying Iran would not submit to political games or propaganda. Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe and many other imprisoned dual nationals in Tehran believe they are political hostages.

New South Wales declared a week-long state of emergency in response to escalating bushfires. Ask God to give strength and wisdom to Australian military aircraft and vessels and to US and Canadian ‘specialist aviation resources’; may there be clear, unconfused communication between different agencies fighting fires and saving lives. Ask God to bless those providing humanitarian assistance, upholding them in all they do. Pray for wisdom and sensitivity to those carrying out evacuations of whole communities in the coming days. May God protect the thousands of volunteers deployed to help struggling emergency services. May He comfort those who once lived in the 1,200+ destroyed homes. Thousands are fleeing a vast ‘tourist leave zone’ in the largest relocation ever. May calm minds replace panic and fear. Pray for cut-off towns where supplies are running low and people are living in fear of flames spreading across their communities. May God bring wind direction changes and rain to take the worst of the fires away from towns and farms.

France, Germany, and Britain have told the UN's secretary-general that Iran has developed a ballistic-missile system capable of delivering a nuclear weapon in violation of the Security Council resolution. A letter from those countries, plus Russia, China, and the USA, stated that the development of such missiles was inconsistent with the resolution endorsing a 2015 nuclear deal with Iran and urged Tehran not to pursue activity related to such missiles. Iran’s foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called the letter ‘a desperate falsehood to cover up European countries' miserable incompetence in fulfilling their commitments to the nuclear deal. He said, ‘If Britain, France, and Germany want a modicum of global credibility, they can begin by exerting sovereignty rather than bowing to US bullying.’ Pray for Iran’s church leaders amid the upheaval. They are praying that God will give them strategies to use the current unrest to advance His kingdom.

South China’s Morning Post editor prophesied: ‘There is no Happy New Year ahead for Hong Kong, just endless protest chaos for the foreseeable future. Get used to it because nothing is changing, nobody is coming to the rescue, and no one has any panacea for the most destructive and debilitating social and political crisis since the city’s return to China. Wreck and repair, rinse and repeat: that’s been the new normal for more than six months and the lid has been blown off the Pandora’s box of Hongkongers’ pent-up problems and frustrations. Hong Kong’s revolution is sliding into terrorism with home-made bombs. There will be scattered protests on weekdays while most citizens go about their daily business, occasional mass rallies to mark some anniversary or another of the hate-China / destroy-police / despise-government campaign, and regular outbreaks of violence and anarchy over weekends and public holidays.’ Let us pray that this gloomy prophecy will not be accurate and that God will miraculously end a frightening situation.

Dr Maged presents The Coach, an Arabic TV programme on SAT-7. He said there’s a lack of awareness of how to raise children in a healthy way in North Africa. Many cultures are based on a patriarchal model where women and children are not encouraged to speak up, share an opinion, or disagree with the male head of the family. Many parents use parenting techniques of beating, shouting and intimidation. This is where The Coach steps in, discussing the parenting issues that many families face. The programme encourages healthy, open conversations between parents and children, preparing them to cope with the world and helping them feel safe within the home environment. Children can express themselves or admit to a mistake without the fear of being beaten or belittled. It is clear that the programme is making a real-life impact in Arab families. Dr Maged’s end goal is for healthy parenting to become the norm for parents.

Around the world in 2019, corruption sparked demonstrations and toppled governments in what should be a wake-up call for leaders to follow through on their commitments and make good on old promises as well as new, meaningful resolutions. Corruption is deepening the crisis of democracy in many parts of the world. Countries with higher rates of public sector corruption have weaker democratic institutions, depriving citizens of political rights such as free and fair elections and the right to protest. Many protested and, losing patience, took to the streets demanding that their governments serve public interest. We may see more protests in the coming year unless political leaders take urgent steps to eradicate corruption and make their countries a liveable place for all citizens. In over 100 countries, people can turn to Transparency International chapters for advice on long-lasting and inclusive approaches to strengthen their democracies.

Hassan, a fervent Muslim in an African country, was fanatical about converting Christians to Islam. He accepted a missionary organisation’s offer to help translate the Bible into the Ndam language. After all, many Christian scriptures are deemed holy books in the Koran. In a secular country where tolerance marked relations between Muslims and Christians, he welcomed the opportunity to discuss Scripture with prospective converts to Islam, but he was constantly exposed to Scriptures at translation workshops, and ended up accepting Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord. Now he is growing through discipleship and constantly interceding for the salvation of his community.

2019 has been a year of great triumphs and unimaginable tragedies. As we enter 2020 we remember and proclaim that God is sovereign over every corner of the globe, the hope of the nations. Though some situations appear hopeless, we can rejoice that He reigns ‘far above all rule and authority, power and dominion’, and ‘all things are under His feet’. Nothing is impossible for Him. He rules over Iran and China, North Korea and Syria, a deluge in Mozambique, and a water shortage in India. He rules princes, presidents, and prime ministers. He rules over cyclones and volcanoes, floods and fires, protests, perpetrators, persecution and refugees. He rules over corporations, celebrities, and sports. He rules over galaxies, stars and planets, ‘and calls them each by name’ (Psalm 147:5).

Baadre refugee camp in Iraq houses 15,000 Yazidi refugees. The leader of Baadre children’s centre said that it was her dream that orphaned children freed from IS would find a place full of love and joy. In the 18 months since it opened there has been a huge change in the children. Their eyes now shine again, something they had lost through their terrible experiences with the IS militants. Some were born of rape, the sons and daughters of Yazidi girls and women held as sex slaves. But now they are in a mini-paradise, receiving the love they need, and learning Christian values of mutual respect, help in difficult times, comfort and encouragement.