A Burning Love

By this time we all heard or seen the news coverage about the Florida Pastor who planned to burn a copy of the Quran. The news coverage was unending. It never ceases to amaze me how we Christ followers just don’t get it. Do we think that God in any way shape or form would be pleased with such a display?

By this time we all heard or seen the news coverage about the Florida Pastor who planned to burn a copy of the Quran. The news coverage was unending. It never ceases to amaze me how we Christ followers just don’t get it. Do we think that God in any way shape or form would be pleased with such a display? We may know the bible but doing such things prove that we really don’t know the God of the bible. We can be angry at the sin of others and the injustice we see in the world but we are never given the right to take from God the responsibility to enact what we think will be justice.
I don’t know the motives of this Florida Pastor but I can guarantee that the result of his threat will not accomplish anything for the kingdom of God. Followers of Islam began to gather and protest around the world in anticipation of this Pastor’s threats. As I saw these crowds on TV I realized that Jesus looked at lost people in a very different way than we often do, especially those that hated him.
When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were bewildered and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Matthew 9:36 The most provocative thing that Jesus did was love people, all people! What burned inside of him was love.
I realize that each day I fail in many ways to show love to others. I need to be reminded of the verses in 1 John 4. Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been fathered by God and knows God. The person who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 1 John 4:7-8.
We proclaim Christ and our connection to him by loving others. We are not called to burn Quran’s or fight with people of other faiths. As men we are given a special opportunity to show our strength through our love for all people. Jesus did this all the time. In fact one of the only times he displayed anger was at so called religious people who displayed judgmental attitude and actions. He had strong harsh words for them. Those words remind me to be careful of my own pride and unloving attitudes.
• So who or what has been angering you?
• Are you willing to love them?
• What will you do differently to reveal God’s love and that you know him?
Let’s keep each other accountable to avoid using our faith as a weapon to punish others but rather as an opportunity to extend the love of Jesus.