Maybe you have been captivated by the events in Iran these last several days as I have. The violence inflicted on those peaceably assembling has been tragic. My prayers are with the people living in Iran and my friends here who have family there.
Two thoughts I’ve had about this situation that seem ironic:
1. Moussavi was not running a campaign against the Ayatollah, but now that it appears the election results were skewed to help the more hardline Ahmadinejad, people are shouting “Death to the Dictator.” If the hardliners rigged the vote, they have done more damage to their efforts than good. Now moderates who were ok with the Ayatollahs are turning against them.
2. In 1979, the Ayatollahs led a revolution. In 2009, the Ayatollahs are repressing a revolution.
Maybe every generation needs a revolution or at least the opportunity to bring changes that make our society better.
Within a few decades of being repressed themselves Christians were persecuting the Donatist Christians in North Africa in the Early Church.
Reformers like Luther and Calvin having been led a revolution against the repressive Catholic Church then persecuted the Anabaptists.
You could go on and on, there is something sadly predictable about revolutionaries becoming repressive themselves.
nothing like social upheaval to flip the apple cart of change. wonder, does it have to come to that?
brian miller’s last blog post..10 and 2
Great leaders lead from where they have been, and never forget what it was like to be there. Unfortunately, in more cases then not leaders seem to forget this. When that leader is running a society and forgets, or maybe has never know he or she runs the risk of repressing the very people he or she is suppose to lead to a better place. A people will only be repressed for so long before they will do what it takes to force the hand of those who are repressing them. I am praying for, first that maybe those who are leading now would remember and then listen to the voice of the people, or two if the revolution does become the leading party that it’s leader would never forget so that this ugly and unnecessary cycle would not start all over again.