Burn, Baby, Burn – Qur’an Controversy
Sometimes I ponder how God might respond during times where His name is being challenged or dragged through the mud.
Sometimes I ponder how God might respond during times where His name is being challenged or dragged through the mud.
I wonder if he’ll get all 1 Kings 18 and have a showdown – He and His prophet versus the Other Guy’s followers – to see whose deity is truly God (which in 1 Kings 18:19-40 results in a fiery display and a mass execution of Baal believers by the prophet Elijah).
Or, will He get all Luke 9:54-56 on folks instead, and confound His followers by choosing mercy when we most want Him to call down fire from heaven and annihilate those who have offended us.
Then I wonder: how should I respond?
Storms brew over the mosque at Ground Zero, Muslim distrust that extends from post 9/11 wariness to the suspicion over the religious practices of the president, and most recently, one church’s decision to burn Qur’ans on September 11th. I think there are honest origins to this storm; respect for our troops, grief over the great losses of 9/11, fidelity to Christianity, and the quandary of how to treat all Muslims when a few of their own flew the planes into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
What should my response as a Christian be?
I don’t know whether a mosque at Ground Zero will bridge the divide of hostility. I doubt it will. But I believe that America was built on checks and balances, freedom of religion, and free enterprise. These rights extend to all of the citizens of America – not just people who think or worship like me. I also think that we are blessed to live in a country where people can debate, protest, and talk vehemently about their positions. And vote without a bloody coup ensuing.
I’m thinking that my response is to not be so naïve as to superimpose my faith onto a political system that protects the rights and freedoms of its people above all. Instead, I get to exercise like crazy my right to vote and live according to biblical principles – and pray Proverbs 21:1 over the country and the president.
I do know that book-burning never did any civil society any good. I believe that the Dove World Outreach Center (quite the ironic name, no?) can potentially bring about more Christian martyrs and the deaths of U.S. troops. They are not calling down fire from heaven; this is drawing fire to innocent people through provocative and rash means.
As a Christian, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, which fundamentally places my faith at odds with Muslim beliefs. And I will not compromise those beliefs. Neither will I expect people who are not Christians to behave as Christians at my bidding, brooding, or bullying. A book-burning doesn’t save souls or draw people to the Lord. The Holy Spirit does, through the power of the Gospel.
God’s response to folks is both 1 Kings 18 and Luke 9, because He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. But the more I look through the canon, the more I see Him responding to deliver His people and exact justice, in His time. He seems to be on the Luke 9 track, and I thank Him for that.
My response can be only the Gospel. The Jesus who crossed the divide between sin and heaven for me. Who took broke down the barrier of the dividing wall with his body. He wrote the Book that cannot be burned, because He is the Living Word.
Sharifa Stevens
Sharifa Stevens is a Manhattan-born, Bronx-raised child of the King, born to Jamaican immigrants, and currently living in Dallas. Sharifa's been singing since she was born. Her passion is to serve God's kingdom by leading His people in worship through music, speaking and writing, and relationships with people. Her heart is also unity, inspired by John. Sharifa hates exercise but likes Chipotle, bagels with a schmeer and lox, salmon sushi, chicken tikka, curried goat (yeah, it's good) with rice and peas, and chocolate lava cakes. She's been happily married to Jonathan since 2006...and he buys her Chipotle.
7 Comments
Shannon
Was listening to Swindoll
Was listening to Swindoll this morning on the way in, and loved what he said about Romans 13:8-10 (8Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9For the commandments,"You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet," and any other commandment, are summed up in this word "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 10Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.), in that when it talks about "neighbor," it's talking about those who are completely different than we are…including those who believe differently than we do. In thinking about this issue, and other "hot-button" issues the church faces these days (like homosexuality), I think that what you write about here, that our only response is the Gospel, that what Romans talks about, that our response is love, is the way we have to go….
Gwynne Johnson
Great thoughts from a new mother…
Well said, and glad to know that all those diapers haven’t dulled your thinking…great applications…keep up the good work on all fronts. By the way…I love it that I Timothy 5:10 reminds us that “bringing up children” is a good work. You’re doing a lot of good work lately!
Sue Bohlin
Book-burning in Jesus’ name?
I am DEEPLY concerned about the Florida church's plans to burns Islam's holy book for several reasons. General Petraeus says this could put American troops in harm's way because there will be a backlash. We have friends trying to minister to followers of Allah, and they guarantee that this action will not help any of them desire to draw closer to Isa (Jesus) when Isa's followers show such deep disrespect for their holy book and the people who believe in it.
I'm glad to read online that the pastor and his congregation are praying about their plans. I will be adding my prayers to that of the church's, that they will follow Jesus' lead on burning books.
He didn't.
P.S. Welcome back to Tapestry, mama! We missed you!
Sandra Glahn
Use, Don’t Burn the Qur’an
Amen and Amen, Sharifa. Thank you for words that needed saying!
The Qur'an speaks of Jesus very positively and includes enough information about Jesus ("Issa"), who he was, and that God ("Allah," in their language) sacrificed him, to lead a Muslim to Christ using his or her own holy book. Christians all over the world working with Muslim populations are taking this approach, which builds bridges rather than torching them.
It seems that those planning to burn the Qur'an in Jesus' name have forgotten Jesus' words: "Do to others as you would have others do to you." The same goes for those who oppose the government's okay of the mosque near Ground Zero. We are a country of Christians, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Wiccans, atheists, Hindus, ancestor worshipers, etc. Freedom of religion does not mean freedom to protect only the rights of Christians. The best way to assure the continuing rights of Christians is to assure impartial application of the law to those of all faiths. So we can oppose the mosque to those who want to build it, questioning their wisdom and their disregard for proximity and the symbolism of their actions. But that's quite different from opposing the government's okay on the structure out of our religious biases.
And since you brought it up… Here's something I find ironic about people who claim President Obama is a Muslim (mostly Republicans). I have an unbelieving friend on the East Coast who has held a number of high offices in the Democractic party, and during the last presidential campaign he emailed me to say that he had just read Barak Obama's "Dreams from My Father." My friend said he found in it the most compelling argument he had ever read for becoming a Christian. Like I said, ironic.
Visitor
This whole “Burn A Quran Day”
This whole "Burn A Quran Day" thing is getting a little out of hand. How can a pastor represent the Christian community so poorly? Jones is being extremely disrespectful and immature towards Muslims (and the mosque issue). It is our jobs as Christians to love one another and face persecution with a good heart; God tells us we will be persecuted. If Jones, or anyone for that matter, feels persecuted or offended by the mosque issue- this is not the way to respond to it. Its not only embarrassing to Christians and Americans, it is putting us in danger. I watched a news clip of protestors in Afghanistan burning a mock-up of Jones while chanting "kill Americans". Jones should have thought of the effect his actions would have on the world; he should have acted in a more logical and godly way.
Stephania Alvarez
Ok do i agree on what he is
Ok do i agree on what he is doing regarding burning the Quran? No i do not agree that he should but does he have the right too? Yes he does he. No one has a rule on not doing that. He doesn't care what other people say about what he is doing. This man is representing us not in a very good way. How would respond to this? Wl the thing is that some of us christians wont respond too well. We need to have self control and know that God has a plan for everything he does and a purpose. Yes it might not be what most of us want or agree with but it all falls in the hands of God. We need trust in Him. Also this can put American Troops in harm ways. This can cause a disaster or even a war for what is happening.
FisherOfMen1967
Quran burning is not Christ-like
I agree that this "pastor" was way off base. There is no way he could biblically justify his Quran burning plans. I am so glad he called it off. I wrote an article on my own blog about the Quran burning with a similar take, using historical and scripture references to support my stand. Check it out and leave comments!
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