rThe Church Speaks w What happened tolove thy. neighbo ur?, By THE REV. GRANT G. SCHWARTZ' Chaplain Whltby Psychiatrie Hospital The mother of the American President wlshes that she had a million dollars to lire an assassin 0f Ayatollah Ruhollah Ehomeini. The chef of Iran's revo lutionary court, Shelk $adeg Khaikhali offers $160,Ooo to anyone who wil assassinate the exiled Shah. Christians around the worid prepare teo, eiebrate the birth of Hlm Who said, "Love your enemnies, do good to tiose who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who mlstreat you." The dupliclty, cruelty, and violence that we are hearing about daily encourage a response in klnd, thereby putting out Christmas spirt to areai testis somuch easier to answer sin wlth sin rather than rejelce In Hlm Who came into the world to, save sinners. As we look at Iran and Iranlans this Christmas there are Qure factors to bear in mind. Flrst, to the extent that Iranlans are sininers, they are just like you and me: sinners for whom God became Incarnate. Second,_many Iranians, are vlctims rather than the cause of theiréùcurrent dlstress; they are victims wlth whom Christ identlfied Himself by being boni in a ban and by narrowly escaping with His l11e while stfil a baby. Third, in times past many Iranians have PlaYed a part te the celebration and the proclamation of the New ininsteri for loceal churc.h WHITBI Good News that God lias sent lus Messiah Into the world. Admlttedley the above three factors are flot so mucli veriflable facts as points of vlew. I belleve they are the points of vlew of one who rejoices ln the Child Who grew Up to preach, "Do flot judge others, and God will not judge you; do flot condemin others, and God wlll fot condemn you; forgive others, and God wil forigve you." That Is, if we view Iranans from the perspective of Christmnas we see' that they ike us, are a mixture of good and bad, and that is was for them and us that the Christ was born. Once we view them from the Christmas perspective, we find flot only that we ýcan forgive them but that we even want to see some redeeming qualities in them. When we want to see the valute of their 111e and history a couple of curious features turn up. For exampie five hundred years before Christ was born, Iranians on December 25, celebrated the annual birth of the sungod. It was a time of ight and beauty and festivities and worshlp. This prototype of our own December 25 at least makes Iranians look human and may even suggest the origin of some of our present ways to commemorate, the birth of the Savior. Even more intriguing is the probability that the "wise men from the East" who followed a star to the Christ Child were Iranians. Certainly in'Iran at that time there were magi Who sought spiritual k nowledge by reading the stars. Those original wlsemen braved the ire of Herod by con- cealing the whereabouts of Christ so it is quite possible that branians were the first peopie to risk death for Christ. IY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1979, PAGE 23 We know that flot ail or even many Iranians became Christians, yet, "There are more conversions to, Chrlstlanity ln Iran than in any other Middle Eastern Coun- tries. The Churcli brouglit hospitals and schools...the now grown-up children of the Anglican mlssionary pioneers were bon in Iran and are citizens. For the past part our schoois today are staffed by them and by franlan graduates of our earller educational efforts. " Howard E. Johnson wrote that praise of the.acceptance of Christians in Iran in Global Odyssey in 1963. Now we learn 0f the detention and interrogation as well as the attempted assassination of Bishop Hassan Dehgami- Tafti, head of the Anglican Churcli in Iran. When it gets that close to home I, like Mrs. Carter, find in myself a desire to retailliate. Nevertheless there are other voices calling. There is the voice of an angel, "Fear not: for, behold I bring.you good tidings of great joy, which shail be to ail people.." There is the voice of Simeon who called the Child, "'A light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of thy people israel." There is the voice of Hlm who was worshipped, by Jewlsh shepherds and Gentile wisemen, "Love one another, just as I love you." There i5 the voice of Chiristmas, "A childý is born, to us-He will be cailed 'Prince of Peace"'.. It is when our Christmas spirit is tried the most that it bas the greatest meaning. In the spirit of Christmas, Jet us remember ail God's people - Iranians, Americans, Canadians, whatever. By MRS. D. O'CONOIR Seventh-Day Adventist Whitby The Whitby Seventhliday Adventist church , has welcomed their ne%# minister, Pastor Dan EÉ. Hogan, his wife, .and their tWo girls to the Whitby area. Not only are Pastor Hogan and bhis family new arrivais to Whitby, but they are fairly new to Canada, now starting on their third year. "ILisa, our youngest, is a native Canacian", Pastor Hogan revealedp "Since she was born in Parry Sound in January of 1978. But al 0f us, including our four. year old, Tina, have felt right at home here."ý Pastor Hogan and Bonmie Fft-ESIDES, OURA his wife, met and married at Southern Missionary College, near Chattanooga, Tennessee, where both received college-degreed training. Aîter college, the Hogans began their pastoral work in Florida. Pastor Hogan br ings to the Whitby congregation more than seven years. pastoral ex- perience with the Seventh- day Adventist church. He has expresseci pleasure and optimism over his move to the Whitby area. "TheKendalwood Seven- tii-day Adventist church here M'i Whitby has mudli to offer this community, I feel"', commenta. Pastor Hogan, 1I look forward to my years of ministry biere. " -1