Iran

Late

Valerie Cullers 14 Comments
Have you been late to an important function? Perhaps you forgot to write it down on your calendar or were completely distracted that day. You arrive; the candles have been lit and blown out, the presents opened, and you feel totally cringe. 
That is how I felt the other day when I read about the twins, Taraneh and Romina Rahimi, who are sitting in a prison in Isfahan. They were participants in the protests last January in Iran. I was praying for the Iranian people at the time, but because of the war and various other events happening in the news, they moved off of my radar.
Most of us have been overwhelmed by the amount of tragedies that have happened in our world this past year. You just can’t get focused on all of them, or you would lose your mind. Sometimes, though, it is good to put names to some of the faces we see.
Taraneh and Romina, at 19, were dragged out of their beds and bags placed over their heads about a month after they joined anti-regime protests in Isfahan. Four months later, their mother finally found them in Dowlatabad Prison. She barely recognized her daughters.  They had been beaten, tortured, and their feet had been broken. I could continue on about their injuries, but you get the picture.
After I read about them, I checked to see what could be done for them. Was there anyone we could write to in order to ask for mercy for them? No one, as far as I could gather; however, Human Rights Watch suggested we make their stories known. Gladly, but is that all we can do?
I personally believe in the power of prayer, and if nothing else, we can pray for these two young women who are being tortured for their desire to live a full and free life in their home country. They must have known about the danger of protesting, but I am sure at their age they had no idea what could really happen to them.
Will you join me in remembering these two young women in prayer? Who knows what will happen in the next few months between our two countries, but no matter what, let us not forget the hundreds, if not thousands, of protesters who are being held in their prisons.
Prayer changes things, and let us pray for their unconditional release, humane treatment, and, in the meantime, the formation of a government that will allow their citizens a chance to live a life of  freedom and liberty.

Information from Sept.15th article by Efrat Lachter, Fox News. Photo by Gerd Altman, Pixabay.

 

No Appetite

Valerie Cullers 12 Comments
As we head into another conflict, I want to say that I have no appetite for war. I remember watching excerpts from the Vietnam War on television while I was in high school. I knew people who lost their lives, their limbs, and their mental stability who served in that war.
I remember the Gulf War and seeing the final images of the road to Baghdad littered with burned-out jeeps, tanks, and military equipment. I will not forget that image. I remember the bombing of Torah Borah day after day as we looked for Osama Bin Laden.  I remember the patriotism people felt when they sent their children off to Iraq and the resulting quagmire. Are Iraq or Afghanistan any better off after all of the American blood was spilled there?
And now, we are bombing various targets in Iran to smithereens. We are sending 5,000 Marines to the Straight of Hormuz. Is it any wonder I cannot get excited about it? Is all of it really necessary? Do we truly have a Cassus Belli that justifies this action? I don’t know. In 1918, Senator Hiram Johnson said, “The first casualty when war comes is truth.” It will take us several months, if not a year or so, to find out if we really were threatened by Iran with a potential nuclear strike in the near future. In the meantime, we will hear the inevitable phrases of war.
Casualties of War – meaning the dead and injured servicemen.
Collateral Damage – meaning the innocent people who were killed or wounded when a bomb or ordinance hit them or their homes or places of work.
Unintended Consequences – meaning the things that happened that we had not planned for, and the inevitable…
Quagmire – meaning we got ourselves into something and now we are going to have a difficult time getting out.
Wave the flag all you want, beat the drum, but for me, I have no appetite for war unless it is honestly necessary for our survival.

 

Foreshadow

Valerie Cullers 5 Comments

“Foreshadow – “a warning or indication of a future event.” Oxford Languages

As I look at current events happening around the globe, I can see that they are foreshadowing things to come. We are watching a story unfold right before our eyes that is filled with hints as to what we can expect in the future.

Take Israel and Iran for example. When I watched the attack on Israel by Iran on April 14th, I could see this as an event that foreshadows another war that will come against Israel in the future. The Bible speaks of a war that will happen to Israel in the latter days. Found in Ezekiel 38, a coalition of forces from the extreme north of Israel (possibly Russia or Turkey) plus Iran, Sudan and Libya will come against Israel. Did you ever think that Iran would dare to strike Israel? Well, it happened. Carefully orchestrated and announced ahead of time so that their missiles would not actually hit major population centers, Iran announced to the world that it is not afraid to strike Israel. A line was crossed and there is no going back. When Iran and her allies are ready, they will invade and attack Israel.

When the time comes, will any nations help Israel? Sadly, Israel will be on her own, and we are currently watching the foreshadowing of this in cities around the world and on college campuses. Antisemitism is rearing its ugly head, and even when these demonstrations stop and the war in Gaza is over, people will continue to hate Israel. This antisemitism has taken root globally, and it will not easily be pulled out.

Not to worry, though. Even though men will not come to Israel’s defense, the Lord will strike the invading armies dead on the mountains of Israel. This will not be a pretty sight and will according to scripture affect the entire world when it sees this happen.

As we watch the foreshadowing of future events, what should our response be in this incendiary climate? For one thing, we must not be taken in by those who would hate the Jews because of the war in Gaza. We must do what we can to stand up for the people who are being persecuted in their synagogues and on college campuses. So much of this reminds me of what happened in Germany in the 1930s. Jewish hatred was whipped up within the population to the point that people believed they were subhuman. Once they were dehumanized they were systematically eliminated with little or no public outcry. We cannot let this begin to happen again, not on our watch.

Image by merandad. Courtesy of Pixabay.