“Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15). A few nights ago, we held a memorial service for our Iranian Lutherans at Zion Hamburg in memory of the thousands—some say as many as 50,000—protesters who have been gunned down by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps in recent weeks. The IRGC wields immense influence over politics, economy, security, and foreign operations in that country. This ideologically driven paramilitary unit (some 190,000 strong) also enforces regime power through surveillance and violence—somewhat like the SS in former Nazi Germany. Many of our parishioners have relatives or friends back home who have been seriously wounded or killed by the IRGC. Some of the victims were Christians. Many tears were shed during the service, with parishioners gathering before and after to light candles at the beautiful memorial that they had set up (picture). One lady—a mother whom I had accompanied to the courthouse that same morning and was granted asylum—was sobbing uncontrollably, grieving for all the other mothers back home who have lost children to the merciless killers. As I write this on Friday morning (German time), our parishioners are praying that Allied forces would very soon strike decisively and put the regime out of business—after 47 years in power. And yet, even if this vicious dictatorship were swept into the dustbin of history in the next few days, the ultimate hope of the Iranian people lies not in a new form of government, or a democracy, or even a new shah (king). It can only lie in the one King who is not of this world, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Our people know this. At the same time, they still mourn those who have been slaughtered. We missionaries and pastors are privileged to stand alongside them—rejoicing in times of rejoicing, and weeping with them right now—in a time of fear and extreme sorrow for Iranians the world over.
The Tiews in Germany 