“For where two or three are gathered in My name, there am I among them” (Mt 18:20). Last week I coached another Iranian preparing for the dreaded asylum interview before the German court. Assisted by a fellow Iranian congregant, who is also a pastoral student at Riga Luther Academy, I spent two afternoons going over some of the questions with which judges try to determine the authenticity of the applicant’s Christian faith: “How long did Jesus hang on the cross?” (This question is significant for people from a Muslim background because Islam teaches that it was not Jesus but only someone who *looked* like Him who was crucified). Or: “You are a sinner. Will you still go to heaven?” Or: “Do you believe in Allah?” (This one is especially tricky because the correct answer depends on the definition of “Allah,” since “allah” can either be the generic term for “god” or the specific god of Islam). Lula, another church member, and I attended the hearing as spectators. Our parishioner seemed relieved to see the three of us sitting in the back of the room. Also present in the courtroom were the attorney and an interpreter. Picture-taking is obviously not allowed in court, so I could only sketch the geometric design hanging on the wall behind the judge. You might see a cross in it—or maybe not. But Jesus Christ was definitely present in our midst because at least four Christians were gathered. Ironically, our parishioner’s Christian faith was never raised in the hearing. The judge granted her asylum solely due to her political activities here in Hamburg against the cruel mullah regime in Tehran, of which the Iranian government is well aware and which would definitely lead to imprisonment or more likely execution if she ever returned to her homeland. *** Isn’t it comforting to consider that Jesus is with *you* too, whenever you are gathered with one or two other believers—no matter where that might be and whatever you might be facing?
The Tiews in Germany 