By: Ali Elizabeth Turner
On Monday, March 2, I spent the first 30 minutes of my radio show, the Tennessee Valley Spotlight Radio Show on WKAC trying to speak through that challenge of a lump in one’s throat—not exactly manifesting broadcast excellence, but hopefully heaven looked upon my struggling voice with a smile as I celebrated what I knew had been going on for at least 20 years in secret now going viral. It was the sight and sound of Christians worshipping the one true God of Israel to the tune of a wonderful song entitled simply, Waymaker. And the best part? It was being sung in Farsi, in a public place, with several thousand people all gathered in one accord.
Of the three years I spent in Iraq now nearly twenty years ago, approximately 15 months were spent on an intel base that had been the former haunt of Uday Hussein. There was talk of what was going to be the next step as far as dealing with Iran, the largest state sponsor of terrorism on the planet, and the scuttlebutt was that there was a revival amongst the youth and Iranians who were coming to Christ at that time by the thousands. The concern was that nobody wanted to see the kids hurt.
Now the estimate is that there are 8 million Christians in Iran, with new “births” every day. I saw a recent interview with a man who was 19 years old when he got saved twenty years ago, and the joy on his face with regard to loving God, loving people, and wildly enough, loving Israel continues to make my eyes leaky. What is also difficult to describe is what it is like to be around believers who actually thank you for the fact that you are a part of a country that attacked their own. They make you into a rock star because they would rather risk death and be free than live under oppression, and let’s just say that Patrick Henry’s “Give me liberty or give me death” iconic patriotic statement is true universally in every regard.
While I have watched the Waymaker reel a zillion times now, what also touches me is that while they worship, Iranians are wrapped in the former Iranian flag that features in its central medallion a sunburst as well as a lion. From a scriptural standpoint, those two symbols point to Isa, Yeshua, Jesus. He is the sun of righteousness with healing in his wings, and He is the Lion of the tribe of Judah that breaks every chain.
And the song? Well, it is stellar proof that God is the author of true diversity. It was written by an African woman by the name of Osinachi Kalu Okoro Egbu, better known as Sinach while she was on a stateside plane heading back to her native Nigeria. It became an anthem during COVID. It was made popular by a white man by the name of Michael W. Smith, and sung powerfully by the Pentecostals of Virginia, sung powerfully in Hebrew in Israel, and now sung powerfully in Farsi in Iran. The best part of the chorus? “Waymaker, Miracle Worker, Promise Keeper, Light in the Darkness, My God, That is who You are…”
May we stand with our brothers and sisters in Iran while we experience on this side every tongue and tribe gathered around the throne, praising God.
