On November 4, 1979, Fifty-two Americans were captured and taken hostage after the Iranian Revolution. The Imperial State of Iran led by the Shah was overthrown by the Ayatollah Khomeini, transforming Iran to the Islamic Republic of Iran. I remember the event so well. I was a junior in high school at the time. As a nation, we sat spellbound in front of our televisions watching updates on the television show Nightline, anchored by Ted Koppel. We listened to the news constantly on our radios when traveling. We prayed for the 52 hostages on Sundays in our churches. Every American imagined what it would be like to be held in a foreign country with no idea when our lives would be extinguished. We felt a deep empathy for the parents, spouses, children, and families of those held.
Before long, yellow ribbons were placed on trees in front of our homes. Why yellow ribbons? There was a song sang by Tony Orlando and Dawn in 1973 which became Billboard’s number one song of the year. In the song, the guy coming home from prison isn’t sure if his family still wants him. He says he will pass by on the bus. If they want him home, to please tie a yellow ribbon around the old oak tree to show he is still welcome. If he sees no yellow ribbon, he will know he messed up and will continue his life elsewhere knowing it was his fault. Needless to say, in the song, he passes by on the bus and sees a hundred yellow ribbons around that old oak tree. They didn’t just want him home. They wanted him home with all their being. America wanted our hostages home with all our being—in every town, in every state, throughout the whole nation. Yellow ribbons adorned our landscape. Americans mattered.
It was during this time, we began to realize the weakness of our President, and the frailty of our military. President Jimmy Carter approved an attempt to rescue our hostages. The rescue mission was called Operation Eagle Claw. The attempt ended in tragedy. One helicopter crashed killing eight of our soldiers. Other helicopters did not prove flight-worthy. In the desert sand of Iran, lay not only our dead, but also a picture of how anemic we had become. Were our fellow citizens doomed in Iran? How soon before Russia or some other nation attacks us, seeing how weak we were? That was our question, our horror.
By God’s Grace, on January 20, 1981 after 444 days of being held, the hostages were set free just as President Ronald Reagan took his oath to be the 40th President of the United States. His election brought hope, a groundswell of love for our nation again, a new day. Indeed, it was a new day for all 52 hostages and their families. America really loved our own. We were a nation on the rebound. I remember thinking of taking an overseas trip a few years after. The memory of the hostages held in a foreign country bothered me. But then I remember a confidence came over me. If I were to be taken hostage, I firmly believed President Ronald Reagan would move Heaven and earth to get me home. I think we all felt that assurance. America cared for its own.
Roll forward to October 7, 2023. Hamas invades Israel. At least 32 Americans are killed in the attack. Why don’t we hear anything about them? Eight Americans are still held hostage. As you read this, they have been held for 325 days plus. Where are the yellow ribbons? Where is the television coverage on Nightline? Where is our concern with bated breath? Where is our government, President Biden, Vice President Harris, or our Congress in all this? Why isn’t this a political issue as it was in the 1980 election? Read the news, scan the headlines, never a mention of these eight, nor of their families, nor of the 325 days. Are they still alive? No one knows. Did we quit caring for each other? Does being an American not mean anything? Are we seeing the anemia of the late 1970s or have we left God to the point that human life no longer matters?
Jesus said in the 4th chapter of Gospel of Luke—Luke 4:18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners… to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” If our government is of the people, by the people, and for the people, shouldn’t it get in gear and start caring for We the People? Please pray for our nation, for a National Revival, and for these hostages to be set free.
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