We’ll gather and feast! This week, Americans will come together around family tables for turkey, potatoes, pie, and all the fixings. After the meal, many of us will settle into the family room to watch football. But it won’t just be NFL fans who gather around the television. This year, Thanksgiving is also fútbol season. 

On Sunday, the 2022 FIFA World Cup kicked off in the tiny desert nation of Qatar. The event has been controversial as allegations of corruption, migrant worker abuse, and discrimination have already tarnished the tournament. Yet, as international worker Lawrence S. (pseudonym) wrote this week, God may use the global spotlight on Qatar for the spread of the gospel.

In Qatar, Western Christians have freedom to gather and worship Christ, but for non-Western Christian expats and Qatari natives, the situation is different. Qatar is a devoutly Muslim nation, a place where the gospel has yet to penetrate the indigenous population. But despite the barriers to a gospel witness in Qatar, we pray for God to draw Qataris to himself. We pray that workers in the country will receive justice and care, and we ask God to protect Muslim-background believers so they are able to work and worship in freedom. 

We can pray for the gospel to go forth in Qatar with confidence, because we know God is at work. We have his promise that he will call his people from every tribe, language, and nation (Rev. 5:9). One day, Christ’s people will gather and feast in perfect freedom, not for a national holiday or sporting event but at the marriage supper of the Lamb (Rev. 19:9).

Looking forward to the Day,