In recent months, Kenya has witnessed an unprecedented outcry against the rising cases of femicide. On January 27, 2024, thousands of women and allies marched in cities across the country—including Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, and Eldoret—demanding an end to violence against women. The participants carried placards that read things like “Stop Killing Us,” “Say Their Names,” “We Are Human Beings,” among others.
The protests were not confined to the streets. Online platforms buzzed with hashtags like #EndFemicideKe, #TotalShutdownKenya, and #WeJustWantToLive as Kenyans expressed their grief, anger, and demands for justice. Despite these efforts, the violence has persisted. Between August and October 2024 alone, 97 women were killed in gender-related murders, highlighting the urgent need for systemic change. The numbers continue to rise, and the protests continue to grow, both online and offline.
As a Kenyan woman and a mother to two young girls, I find myself engulfed in fear. The thought of raising daughters in a society where their safety is not guaranteed fills me with dread. I worry about their future, about the world they are inheriting, and about my ability to protect them. This fear leads me to deeper questions. How do we, as Christian women, process such pervasive injustice? How do we reconcile our faith with the harsh realities around us? Is it wrong to question God’s silence in the face of such evil?
In this state of pain, I find myself asking a question that has echoed through the ages: “O Lord, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear?” (Habakkuk 1:2). When the world seems saturated with evil, and God seems silent, how can we as Christian women respond?
This blog is an invitation to journey through these questions together. Here, we will draw from the book of Habakkuk and other scriptures to find solace, understanding, and hope in God’s promises.
Lament, a Godly Response to Evil
When Habakkuk looked at the violence, lawlessness, and oppression of his time, he didn’t turn his back or minimize it. He didn’t quote a cliché or shut down his emotions. He lamented. His questions were raw and real: “Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong (Habbakkuk 1:3)?”
Lament is not faithlessness. It is faith expressed through sorrow because it believes that God is holy and good, and therefore, what is happening is not right. Lament dares to hold God’s promises in one hand and the pain of the present in the other.
As Christian women, we are allowed—and even called—to mourn. It is not unspiritual to grieve over the defilement and destruction of women. It is not weak to cry when a fellow woman is found murdered in cold blood. It is not faithless to ask, “Where is justice?” Jesus himself wept at the tomb of Lazarus, even though he knew he would raise him (John 11:35). Our Savior entered our grief. The Psalms are full of laments that have become the prayers of generations (Psalms 10, 13, 44, 88). If you are weeping, know that you’re in good company.
God Sees, and He Will Act—Even If We Don’t Yet See It
In Habakkuk 1:5, God responds to the prophet’s complaint: “Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told.”
God is not idle. He is not blind. He is not passive. Sometimes, we fail to understand what he is doing because we are looking for justice in the now. While Scripture affirms that God does act in history to bring about justice (e.g., Exodus 3:7-8, Isaiah 10:1-3), it also teaches that his ultimate justice is unfolding in his perfect timing, not ours (2 Peter 3:9-10).
When we do not see swift retribution, it does not mean justice is forgotten. It means it is being stored up. There will come a day when every secret thing is exposed (Ecclesiastes 12:14), when every deed is weighed, when every unrepentant perpetrator will be judged in perfect righteousness by Jesus Christ (Acts 17:31). This is not just theological comfort—it is our firm hope.
The call to faith, then, is not faith in immediate outcomes but faith in the God who does not lie. Habakkuk was told to wait for it: “…If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.” (Habakkuk 2:3). God’s judgment is not abated. It is coming. This should change how we grieve.
The Just Shall Live by Faith
In the middle of his wrestling, Habakkuk receives a word that would echo into the New Testament and anchor the Saints for centuries: “The righteous shall live by his faith.” (Habakkuk 2:4). Faith is not merely a belief in abstract ideas. It is a daily, lived-out trust in the God who saves. When justice is delayed, faith endures. When evil seems to prosper, faith clings to the character of God. When the future is terrifying, faith rests in the finished work of Christ.
To live by faith today, as a Christian woman in Kenya, means to respond to violence not with revenge but with confidence in God’s justice. It means seeking the protection of the vulnerable not with bitterness but with holy urgency. It means to cry out to God, to seek the good of our communities, to work for change, and to do all this not from a point of despair but from hope.
This faith is not something we generate on our own. It is anchored in the gospel—the good news that Jesus Christ bore the full wrath of God for sin so that those who trust in him might be saved. At the cross, justice and mercy met (Romans 3:23–26). No sin was overlooked. Not one rape. Not one murder. Every evil will either be paid for at the cross or punished in hell. There are no loose ends. This truth frees us from the lie that God is distant or indifferent. The cross proves he is not.
How Do We Interact With Today’s Injustices as Christian Women?
We cannot unsee what we’ve seen, and we shouldn’t try to. But we must process it through the lens of the gospel and Scripture. Here are a few ways we can respond to the injustice around us.
a. Pray Bold, Honest Prayers
Pray as Habakkuk did. Don’t sanitize your grief. Tell God what you see. Ask for his justice. Ask for protection. Ask for strength. “Pour out your heart before him” (Psalm 62:8).
b. Mourn With Those Who Mourn
Stand with victims and their families (Romans 12:15). Weep. Show compassion. Use your voice to say, “This is not okay,” and to affirm the dignity of every image-bearer.
c. Be Alert and Wise
While we trust in God, we are also called to walk wisely. Be cautious, teach your children about boundaries, talk with your friends, and advocate for safer systems. Caution is not fear—it is stewardship (Proverbs 22:3).
d. Support Justice-Oriented Work
Whether it’s legal advocacy, gospel-centered counseling, safe housing, or trauma care—support efforts that bring hope to victims and restrain evil. Seek ways your local church can be a refuge.
e. Preach the Gospel, Even Here
Don’t be silent about Christ. The men who harm women are, without a doubt, unconverted. What would happen if someone brought them the gospel before their sin reached its full bloom? Share Christ, not only to comfort the afflicted but to transform sinners before more lives are ruined.
A Day is Coming
Habakkuk ends with rejoicing: “Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines… yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.” (Habakkuk 3:17–18) His joy is not rooted in the circumstances (clearly, the circumstances did not change immediately) but in a God who is faithful, sovereign, and saving. He is our shield even when the world breaks us. He is our solace when the news overwhelms us. He is our strength when our legs feel weak.
One day, all things will be made new (Revelation 21:4). No more rape. No more murder. No more fear. Christ will return, not as a suffering servant, but as the righteous Judge (Matt. 25:31-46). That gives me so much hope. Until then, we live by faith. We mourn, we fight for justice, and raise our daughters with vigilance and intentionality. We must look to the cross, where justice was satisfied—and to the throne, where justice will be completed.
To the Weary Heart
If you are angry, take it to the Lord. If you are scared, run to him. If you are tired, rest in his promises. If you are reading this and do not know Jesus, I want to submit to you that there is no other hope that holds. The world is broken because of sin, and we are all sinners in need of saving grace. But God, in his mercy, sent Jesus to bear our punishment so that through faith in him, we might be forgiven, healed, and made new. (Ephesians 2:1-5). There is justice and there is grace. It is in Christ that they meet.
Even in the face of evil, we can still say, like Habakkuk, “The Lord God is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places.” (Habakkuk 3:19)