“And when they bring you before the…authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say” (Lk 12:11-12). I recently accompanied one of our Iranian parishioners to his asylum interview before the German authorities. His goal was to convince the officials that his Christian faith was authentic. In the previous weeks, “Ali” and I had reviewed the key points of Christianity. He was well prepared, although quite nervous. We met in the waiting room (see picture). I asked him to read Psalm 91 in Farsi. Then we prayed. Next, his attorney arrived. We were soon called up by an official, accompanied by an interpreter. We all filed into the hearing room. The walls were bare except for a calendar. Sitting in a blue rolling office chair across from two large computer screens, the official went through a long list of questions. During the interview, Ali declared that he had been baptized several years ago, attends church every week, and is very active in the congregation. He also explained that he regularly invites Iranian friends to church. After over two hours of questioning, it was getting stuffy. The official opened the window. The joyful sounds of children playing soccer broke the heavy atmosphere in the room. Then the official asked the decisive question: “If for some reason you were deported to Iran, how would you live out your Christian faith?” Gathering his thoughts, Ali replied in a firm voice: “Jesus Christ and the Christian faith have become part of my identity. I am compelled to share Him with others, even though that could lead to my execution. But I have to do it. I cannot deny Him.” In that hearing room, the New Testament came alive, as the Holy Spirit supplied a young Christian with courage, teaching him what he ought to say.
The Tiews in Germany 