— David de Bruyn
The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.
In every age, God’s people have lived within political orders not of their own making. The prophet Jeremiah instructed the exiles to “seek the welfare of the city” (Jer. 29:7), even when that city was Babylon. Likewise, Paul commanded prayer “for kings and all who are in authority” (1 Tim. 2:2), even when Nero occupied the throne. Christians, therefore, are neither anarchists nor idolaters of the state.
Today, South Africa’s growing alignment with Iran, Russia, and China requires sober Christian evaluation. South Africa is a leading member of BRICS, alongside Russia, China, and others. In 2024, Iran formally joined this bloc. These relationships are often claimed to be an attempt to balance Western dominance and expand economic opportunity.
In principle, it is not sinful to diversify a nation’s trade relationships. Yet Scripture teaches that alliances are never morally neutral. Psalm 1 warns against walking “in the counsel of the wicked.”
Christians must ask: What kind of regimes are we drawing close to? What moral visions animate them?
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 was not merely a geopolitical manoeuvre; it was an act of aggression that violated the sovereignty of a neighbour. China’s authoritarian rule under Xi Jinping has included suppression of dissent, surveillance expansion, and severe restrictions on religious freedom. Iran’s theocratic regime, under, the now late, Ali Khamenei, funds proxy militias across the Middle East and openly calls for the destruction of the State of Israel.
As Christians, we must not flatten moral distinctions between nations and political systems. The West is not righteous in all its deeds. Yes, secularism, expressive individualism, and moral confusion have deeply scarred Western societies. Yet Western constitutional democracies have historically protected religious liberty, upheld rule of law, and provided space for gospel proclamation in ways authoritarian systems have not. This distinction matters.
South Africa’s diplomatic hostility toward Israel has intensified in recent years. While legitimate criticisms may be made of any government’s policies, Christians must remember that Israel remains the only pluralistic democracy in the Middle East with robust protections for religious minorities and an independent judiciary. More fundamentally, the modern Jewish state exists in a region where several surrounding actors — including Iran — openly seek its eradication.
When South Africa aligns itself diplomatically with regimes that finance and arm groups dedicated to Israel’s destruction, believers should pause. There is a vast difference between a flawed democracy and a regime that publicly calls for annihilation.
Alliances matter. Proverbs 22:7 reminds us that “the borrower is slave to the lender.” Strategic indebtedness can quietly erode national sovereignty. Moreover, alliances communicate values. A nation that repeatedly stands alongside authoritarian regimes will slowly normalize their patterns. Political culture is often absorbed by example; it teaches by repetition.
Christians are not political partisans, but they should care about freedom. The gospel flourishes best where conscience is protected and the church is not subsumed under the state. Historically, Western liberal democracies — for all their faults — have provided such space. That is not an accident; it is rooted in a Christian inheritance of limited government and human dignity.
Christians should also refuse simplistic anti-Western narratives. The West’s sins are real. But it was the West that championed the abolition of the slave trade, articulated universal human rights, and sent missionaries who brought the gospel to our shores. Gratitude and critique must coexist.
Christians should maintain a biblically informed sympathy toward Israel’s right to exist and defend itself, while also praying for peace and justice for Arabs in the disputed territories.
South Africa’s growing closeness to Iran, Russia, and China should not be evaluated merely in economic terms, but in moral and spiritual ones. Christians should pray that their leaders pursue alliances that reflect justice, protect freedom, and resist those who would undermine the dignity of nations.
Above all, the Christian’s hope rests not in BRICS or NATO, not in East or West, but in the King of kings, who judges nations with righteousness and truth.