Pray for Greenland

Named the land of the “midnight sun”, Greenland, the world’s northernmost nation, experiences weeks of 24-hour daylight or night every year. The world’s largest island, Greenland is located northeast of Canada, is in a subarctic environment, and claims the polar bear as a national symbol. The frosty island is sparsely populated with a majority Inuit and a minority Danish population. The Inuit culture, known for its strong family ties and communal sharing, plays a large role in the national identity.

The first Europeans to settle in Greenland were the Norse, though the settlements did not last, and Greenland was claimed in 1605 by King Christian IV of Denmark. The island remains a self-governing administrative division of Denmark to this day, after achieving limited self-government in 1979 and additional self-rule in 2008. Denmark controls the foreign affairs, security, and financial policy yet Greenland has its own set of laws and legislature. The nation’s economy relies on the export of shrimp and fish, mining, and also subsidies from the Danish government. Tourism is a growing economic sector.

Christianity first arrived on the island in 1000 with the Norse explorer Leif Eriksson, and it remains the predominant religion today (97%). While some traditional Inuit beliefs continue, there is an Evangelical Lutheran Church in nearly every settlement. There is still much room for renewal, though. Modernity has unleashed many sinful results on Greenland, including immorality, sexual abuse, alcoholism, mental illness, and suicide. Yet the Church is equipping itself to deal with these issues, and Christians, through the work of the Holy Spirit, are rising up to address the challenge. The Church is also making efforts to evangelize the indigenous populations in a culturally appropriate manner, and with the opening of airstrips, more remote communities are reachable.