On Sunday we celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace, but peace is missing in so many places. Central African Republic is experiencing armed clashes between Muslims and Christians. Democratic Republic of Congo is warring against rebel groups. Egypt is has militant branches of Islamic State. Libya still has an ongoing civil war. Mali citizens are burdened with clashes between army and rebel groups. Mozambique is contending with RENAMO rebels. Nigeria is battling militants. Somalia is struggling against al-Shabaab. South Sudan is suffering continual atrocities between opposing groups. Praying into so many situations can be overwhelming, but this Christmas perhaps we could offer our imaginations to the Prince of Peace and have our thoughts inspired by the Holy Spirit. Let us paint a prayer based on ‘What would it look like if God touched this place, this situation, this nation, with His glorious colours of salvation and restoration?’ Let this Holy Spirit-inspired image fuel our prayers for 2017.

As the war in Syria rages on, Chatham House calls us to consider the humanitarian, cultural and political costs of the war, the domestic politics of Syria, and the response of Syria’s neighbours and Europe to the refugee crisis. They remind us, ‘The conflict in Syria has also placed an enormous strain upon its immediate neighbours, as they not only seek to accommodate Syrian refugees, but also manage the spill-over effect on existing social, political, demographic, economic and security challenges.’ Pray that next year surrounding countries (Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Israel) and the West will take on some of these challenges more positively and effectively. The murderous activity in Syria evolves hour by hour and is documented by the media. Let us pray for future accountability and prosecution for all perpetrators of war-crimes, through the presentation and validation of actual events recorded on internet outlets.

It seems that wherever you look, people have written 2016 off as a terrible year. But Amnesty International says that thanks to their supporters, they have found a lot to be positive about. They report that this year more than 650 people (nearly two a day) have been freed by them and their supporters from unfair and often abusive imprisonment. They have helped change laws in forty countries, brought football’s global governing body to account, and helped convict war criminals. In a year of so many uncertainties they found one thing they could be certain about: outrage is not enough, and change will happen when we take action together.

Indonesia's reputation as a stable, tolerant democracy is threatened as radical Islamists claim blasphemy in the trial of Jakarta's Christian governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, commonly known as Ahok. He is the first Christian in fifty years to govern Jakarta. Indonesia is home to the world's largest Muslim population, but it also has sizeable influential Christian, Hindu, and Buddhist minorities. In the 1960s President Suharto signed a decree banning provocative political discourse on ethnicity, race and religion in an attempt to maintain public order, and racial and religious harmony. A minor comment by Governor Ahok has been taken out of context and construed as blasphemy by political opponents seeking to discredit him. His Chinese ethnicity has also been used against him with chants such as, ‘Go back to China.’ Ahok has been praised for reforms he accomplished in Jakarta. He is supported by Indonesia's president Joko Widodo.