Tuesday, December 3, 2024

*** This is a rough transcript of today’s show ***

It is the 3rd of December 2024. Welcome to the Christian History Almanac, brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org; I’m Dan van Voorhis.

Today, we have a story about a martyr for the faith- but this will not take us to the Roman Empire in the 3rd century or the Middle Ages. instead, this is the story of a modern martyr- Hossein Soodmand, who died on this day, killed for his faith 44 years ago today on December 3rd, 1980 by the Iranian “religious police.”

Iran, historically “Persia,” has a long history with both the Hebrew Bible and the early church. It was the land of Esther and Daniel, the country of King Cyrus, who liberated the Jews from the Babylonian exile.  

Persia was the birthplace of the Assyrian Church of the East- a branch of Syriac, Eastern Christianity today with a headquarters in Northern Iraq. That church dates back to the council of Nicea, but from the time of Muslim expansion, it became a difficult place to practice Christianity as evangelism was illegal.

There was a time last century when Iran underwent liberal reforms- we’ll leave the geopolitical stuff out, but this caused a hardline backlash leading up to the Iranian Revolution in 1979 when the country became one of the 6 “theocracies” in the world: that is, their civic law and religious law is bound together. And when the religious law is that of the Shi’a Muslim government, Christianity will not be tolerated.

The world of pre-revolution Iran- but with increasing tensions- was the world of Hossein Soodmand, born in 1940 to Muslim parents in the conservative Shia city of Mashhad. At 7 he remembers throwing a rock at the bucket of a woman he knew to be a Christian. Smashing the bucket, he ran but tripped, and as the woman approached, he cowered in fear. She offered him sweets, and he would remember her kindness when he befriended an Iranian Christian of Armenian descent in the army. Upon being wounded, his friend came to visit Hossein and left him with a cross. That night, Hossein claimed to have a dream in which Jesus came to him and offered him something to eat. He awoke to find himself healed and, coming to faith, was kicked out of his home and went searching for other Christians in Tehran.

Prior to the Revolution, there was toleration for Christians, especially those from ethnic Armenian and Assyrian communities. But with the revolution, evangelism was forbidden, as was the holding of Christian services in Farsi, the official language of Iran.

Prior to the Revolution, Hossein worked in Christian ministry, including in an Anglican mission for the blind, where he met his wife, Mahtab. They had four children, but when the revolution came, Hossein had to decide whether or not to flee to the West with other Iranian Christians. He told his church, “I am a follower of the great Shepherd of the sheep, our Lord Jesus Christ…and I am ready to sacrifice my soul for my sheep. For me to escape from this persecution would cause the hearts of my flock to become cold and weak. And I never want to be a bad example for them. So, I am ready to go to prison again and, if necessary, to give my life.” 

Upon being arrested again for illegal religious activities, he was given the final ultimatum: recant your faith, cease your ministry, or leave. He refused.

His family would learn of his hanging on this, the 3rd of December in 1980, after the fact. His body was taken by the religious place and buried amongst the cursed. Attempts to mark his burial place have been repeatedly removed.

One of his daughters would go on to Bible college in London, and the story of Hossein has been told by her and others in Billy Graham’s Decision magazine and by the Voice of the Martyr’s ministry.

And the persecution has done what could not be achieved with political reform- the church in Iran is believed to be one of the fastest in the region despite being imprisoned for “propaganda against the regime” and “acting against national security.” Today, we remember the ministry and martyrdom of Hossein Soodmand, and even more, remember those Christians persecuted, especially in Iran, today.  

 

 

The last word for today is from the daily lectionary, and in this season of Advent, we get something from Revelation- the best possible word for Martyrs and all the faithful from Revelation 22:

12 “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

14 “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. 15 Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.”

 

This has been the Christian History Almanac for the 3rd of December 2024, brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org.

The show is produced by a man who is wondering if his D&D group would be categorized as practicing “magic arts.” He is Christopher Gillespie.

The show is written and read by a man who doesn’t like that “Morning Star” evokes vegetarian meat alternatives in my mind as much as the root and offspring of David… I’m Dan van Voorhis.

You can catch us here every day- and remember that the rumors of grace, forgiveness, and the redemption of all things are true…. Everything is going to be ok.