Cry for Freedom Part 2

Not only are we seeing celebrations in Venezuela about the removal of a brutal dictator from office, arrested and brought to the U.S. to stand trial for his involvement in drug trafficking, but we are seeing people in Iran who are pushing back against the authoritarian regime there.  There is a cry for freedom, and Iranians are recognizing that a system of government based on Islam does not recognize the freedom of the individual.  Isaiah 61 (ESV) provides insight into God's purposes that He has provided:
1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn;
3 to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.

The protests seem to be intensifying in Iran.  The New York Times reported:

Videos from multiple cities taken by protesters and passers-by showed crowds chanting “Death to the dictator,” and “Freedom, freedom, freedom,” and “Don’t be afraid, we are all together.” In many places protesters demanding the end of the nearly five-decade rule of the Islamic Republic targeted the supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, shouting, “Khamenei is a murderer, his rule is void.”

The article also reported:

As strikes and protests spread to several major cities across Iran on Wednesday, the head of the judiciary threatened to intensify crackdowns and prosecute protesters.

Merchants and business owners in the traditional bazaars in the cities of Tabriz, Isfahan, Mashhad and Kerman closed to protest the dire state of the economy and the plunging currency, according to videos on social media, interviews with witnesses and Iranian media reports. The bazaars of Iran have both practical and symbolic significance — not just where people buy things, but also an emblem of the economy, like stock markets in the West.

FoxNews.com ran an article last Tuesday that said:

Iranian protesters issued a direct appeal for help from President Donald Trump on Tuesday as unrest continued to spiral across the nation for the tenth day.

The appeal, shared on X, showed a woman holding up a sign with the words "Trump, a symbol of peace. Don't let them kill us," on it.

The woman's cry for help came amid reports of at least 29 deaths and more than 1,200 arrests, according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).

Just before the end of the year, The Guardian published a story which said:

Protests started on Sunday after Iran’s currency fell to a record low against the US dollar, causing traders and shopkeepers to close their stores in downtown Tehran. This was accompanied by mass protests in the capital as well as in major cities, including Isfahan, Shiraz and Mashhad.

Protesters chanted anti-government slogans, and video on social media showed demonstrators chanting “Don’t be afraid, we are together” and “Azadi”, the Farsi word for freedom. Footage also showed Iranian police in riot gear shooting teargas at protesters.

The protests were the largest since a wave of demonstrations rocked the country after Mahsa Amini, 22, died in police custody following her arrest for not wearing the hijab correctly. At the time, Iranian police responded with force, imposing an internet shutdown and violently cracking down on demonstrations with teargas and gunfire.

A Mission Network News story highlighted the current situation in Iran that featured comments from Lana Silk, President and CEO of Transform Iran:

“When we look at that situation, we have to remember this isn’t people being melodramatic about their situation. This is about millions of people who cannot afford to eat every day,” Silk says of the demonstrators. “They have to make choices between eating and heating their homes in the winter, or worse, eating and covering costs of essential medical care.”

Transform Iran has received more calls for help than they can possibly respond to, but they understand it to be part of the call to follow Christ.

“We can’t ignore people’s real practical needs while preaching a gospel of love,” explains Silk. “So practical aid becomes a critical component of effective ministry in the country. We welcome funds and resources given for that purpose so that we can give people the help that they need.”

Silk noted that these protests were the largest in the nation since 2022, and that a greater cross-section of people are participating this time around, expanding beyond just "young people and activists" to others who are "struggling to live."

Iran has been held captive, in essence by a brutal system of government in which the religious leaders have placed restrictions on the freedoms of the people.  Rooted in radical Islam, they have ruled with an iron hand that doesn't offer a place for differing religious practices.  Faced with the prospect of death or harsh punishment for converting to Christianity, the Church in Iran has been forced underground.  But, underground does not mean that they are not experiencing the presence of God - reports I have featured show us that even in the midst of suffering the Church is growing and people are walking in the fulness of God.

The freedom that they have sought and found in Christ has sustained them and given them hope.  And, I would think that collective hope is now perhaps manifesting itself through a dissatisfaction with the governing authorities; the Iranian people are making their voices heard.  It's a great lesson to us: when we face adversity in our lives, we can draw strength through the abiding presence of Jesus Christ.