Variety: Deuteronomy 31v6

Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you (Deuteronomy 31:6)

Events in Iran have dominated the headlines in the last week, although curiously the BBC was slower than other media outlets to report on them. It was a reminder that the ‘news’ we consume is shaped by what an individual or group considers news – what one person, organisation, or group sees as news, others may not.

Gaining a clear picture of what’s happening on the ground is difficult due to strict media controls in Iran – including a recent internet blackout – but the broad contours are unmistakable. Widespread unrest is being driven by deepening economic hardship and long-standing political repression. Public anger toward the state is growing, and the human cost has been severe: thousands killed and arrested. Many observers see this as the most serious challenge to the Islamic Republic in years.

President Trump has responded to events by saying that the US will take ‘very strong action,’ while Iran’s foreign minister was insisting earlier this week that the protests were ‘under total control.’

I find myself both cautiously hopeful and deeply concerned. Iran’s government is profoundly authoritarian, with laws rooted in Ja‘fari Shia Islam, where the Supreme Leader, an Ayatollah, holds ultimate religious and political authority. The country ranks ninth on the World Watch List for persecution, particularly of Christian converts. If meaningful change were to come, it could bring real hope to millions who long for freedom.

At the same time, history urges caution. The Arab Spring stands as a sobering lesson: the collapse of a regime does not automatically lead to justice, stability, or a flourishing civil society. Change must be grounded in a vision for the future – principles and practical action, not just anger and a rejection of the status quo.

For followers of Jesus closer to home, all this raises a challenge. We are called to use the considerable freedoms we enjoy to pray for Iran and advocate for freedom there, while also being ‘salt’ and ‘light’ where God has placed us. Let me give a personal example of what using this freedom can look like. I often hear Christians complain about the state of education, and there are certainly challenges. However, the church has significant scope to make a positive difference. In governing boards I’ve served on, the obstacle to renewal has been less secular systems or resistant leaders and more the unwillingness of Christians to step forward with courage and creativity.

Our calling, whoever and wherever we are, is to be faithful and courageous disciples of Jesus, praying and working for change as part of God’s wider mission of freedom, justice, and righteousness.

Paul Woolley