By Shane Bennett
I really hope when you read the subject line above you thought, “Here we go. This oughta be good.”
You’ve likely seen news of Iran’s president, Ebrahim Raisi, perishing in a helicopter crash. Seven others, including the foreign minister died along with him.
Because the president’s job in Iran is basically bringing the Ayatollah’s wishes to fruition, his death does not upset the core of the government. On the other hand, experts say he was a likely pick for the next Ayatollah. Since the current one is 83 (What kind of country has leaders that old?!), that job may be getting posted soon.
Two questions come to my mind with Raisi’s death:
1. Is it ok for believers to be glad when a bad guy dies? God told Ezekiel, “I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked.” But perhaps Raisi’s death means the death of fewer people, along with the possibility of less oppression for a lot of people.
2. What is ahead for Iran? Since chatting with a Persian believer almost 25 years ago, feeling his passion for the overthrow of the clerics, I’ve longed for the day when the government of Iran would change.
I’m thankful for the unprecedented growth of the church during this time of the oppression, but I desire for the oppression to end.
How might that happen? God alone knows, but people speculate: Various opposition efforts chip away at the bastion of the established government. The precarious relationship with Israel could spark change. Maybe something entirely unexpected will happen.
Here’s my hopeful hunch: Although few people willingly give up power, and the Mullahs are not among them, we all get older and die. As the passionate revolutionaries shuffle off, they’ll be replaced by less feisty leaders, more open to conversation, to the existence of Israel and to a thriving economy that serves more than a cadre of elite, be they Muslim or otherwise.
This article was originally posted by Shane Bennett on May 23, 2024