By Philip C. Johnson
June 30, 2025
Since founding Global Next in 2008, I’ve led thousands of Americans out of their cozy comfort zones to Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, showing them the world’s unfiltered realities. I’ve worked alongside hundreds in conflict zones like Israel, Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, and Lebanon, where geopolitics isn’t just headlines – it’s survival. For Christians anchored in Scripture, the global stage isn’t a sideshow; it’s where God’s creation, people, and plans collide. So, grab a map, and get in the game. Here’s why I believe we must think and pray with passports in hand. And why American Christians need a wake-up call on global awareness.
1. Stewardship and the Order of Affections: God’s World, Your Responsibility
Scripture calls us to steward God’s creation (Genesis 1:28) and seek justice (Micah 6:8). Many Christians now embrace the “order of affections,” prioritizing family, church, community, and nation first. And I’m all for this; it’s biblical to care for those closest. But the world doesn’t stay out of your bubble. Geopolitical forces – trade wars, migration, and conflicts – crash into your life, affecting jobs, security, and your church’s mission. Through Global Next, I’ve seen these ripples from Kabul to Lexington. Understanding geopolitics equips you to guard your own while championing biblical values like freedom, dignity and opportunity, not through redistributing wealth and open borders, but by promoting stability for all (Matthew 22:39).
2. The Great Commission: It’s Not Just Backyard Evangelism
Jesus’ command to “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19) starts local but stretches global. Geopolitical barriers – like Christian persecution in Syria or cultural divides in Asia – shape how the Gospel is shared and how Christ-followers live. I’ve met believers in conflict zones who depend on informed support to endure, or just the encouragement of knowing other Christians pray for them. Grasping the global landscape sharpens your prayers, strengthens missionaries, and supports the persecuted. Staying informed is part of God’s mission.
3. End-Times Prophecies: The World Stage Is God’s Stage
If you hold to historic premillennial eschatology, global events – Middle East tensions or shifting global alliances – can feel like prophecy unfolding (Matthew 24, Revelation). Standing in Beirut and Jerusalem, I’ve sensed Scripture’s heartbeat in the air. I’m not saying every headline screams “End Times,” but geopolitics sharpens your discernment of God’s hand. Whether pre-, post-, or amillennial, all Christians believe in Jesus’ Second Coming – a truth that trades fear for purpose, urging us toward His grand finale with urgency.
4. Prayer: Don’t Pray in the Dark
First Timothy 2:1-2 demands prayer for leaders and all people. Vague “God bless everyone” sentiments fall flat. My years in and out of conflict zones taught me geopolitical insight fuels specific prayers for crises, leaders, or regions. It also drives support for policies rooted in Christian values – like religious liberty, protecting life, and stopping sex trafficking – on the global stage. You can’t fight for what you don’t understand.
5. Countering Anti-Biblical Worldviews: Truth Needs a Hero
Geopolitics is a battlefield of ideas: Secularism, Marxism, Islamism – all challenging biblical truth. First Peter 3:15 calls you to defend your faith. I’ve seen these false, yet muscular, ideologies reshape nations, from Afghanistans return to the Taliban to Europe’s cultural death spiral. Studying geopolitics arms you to spot lies, dismantle them, and push a God-centered worldview. Otherwise, you’re shouting at shadows as the world slips from truth. Christians are called to be a light in a world that often trends towards darkness.
What Do Studies Say About Christians and Global Awareness?
American Christians’ engagement with global issues has evolved since the 1980s, but studies reveal a paradox: While interest in global affairs has grown, adherence to a biblical worldview has plummeted, leaving many swayed by secular ideologies.
In the 1980s, evangelicals were largely insular, focused on domestic issues like abortion and family values, with minimal attention to geopolitics. A 1984 Gallup poll showed only 20% of evangelicals prioritized international concerns like religious persecution or global poverty. By 2006, Pew Research Center documented a shift: Evangelicals were increasingly engaged in global issues like religious freedom and human rights, driven by biblical convictions, to influence U.S. foreign policy (for example: supporting Israel or combating global persecution of Christians). This marked a departure from previous generations’ withdrawal, spurred by growing political influence and missionary zeal.
However, this engagement has been selective and hasn’t bolstered a biblical worldview. Barna’s 2017 study found that only 17% of practicing Christians maintained a biblical worldview, with global ideologies like secularism creeping in. By 2020, Pew reported 50% of Christians wanted biblical principles to shape laws, including foreign policy, but 30% feared global cultural shifts eroding their influence. This concern was evidenced clearly by 2023, with Arizona Christian University’s American Worldview Inventory reporting only 4% of U.S. adults (6% of Christians) held a biblical worldview. The downward shift has only accelerated among younger believers, swayed by globalized media and progressive education.
Why This Matters Now
The world often looks like a mess with Middle East conflicts, cultural upheavals and ideological battles. And it is easy to bury your head in the sand – ostrich style. But through Global Next, from Beirut to Baghdad and Rome to Jerusalem, I’ve seen that Christians can’t hide behind local priorities only. A biblical call demands engagement. Geopolitics shapes God’s world, His mission, and His promises. Studies show people are waking up, but too many are swayed by the world’s noise over God’s Word. So, scan the headlines, pray with purpose, and study the globe with Scripture as your anchor. The stakes are eternal, and sitting it out might be easy – but easy doesn’t make a good story.
Meanwhile, Global Next is thrilled for our 2025-2026 programs, taking students from Edinburgh to Athens, Krakow to Hiroshima, and beyond. Join us to see the world – and the lives – that God is shaping! Check us out at globalnext.org and subscribe to this blog to have our updates sent directly to your email account.
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