Think Before You Strike That Match!

The following is an excerpt from a sermon I preached last summer.  I include it now because of a crisis in Afghanistan caused by a couple ministers in Florida who burned a copy of the Quran.  As I write these words, at least 10 UN workers have been killed and many other people have been wounded in protests led by rioters angry about the burning.  Some estimate the number of deaths related to the rioting is close to two dozen.  Pastor Terry Jones—who first threatened to burn the Islamic holy book last summer—and Pastor Wayne Sapp who actually touched the match to the kerosene-soaked book on March 21 deny their actions had anything to do with the riots.  While Islamic groups in the US seem to recognize this action was that of a tiny church that in no way represents all American Christians, I wonder if the same is true for Muslims in the Middle East who may not understand how religion works in our culture.

One of the first questions our son David asked me when we visited him and Kelly last month (July 2010) was, “What do you think of the pastor who’s going to burn the Quran?”  I had to confess I hadn’t heard anything about it.    I almost wish I could still say that this morning.  But after all the news outlets discussing and debating Pastor Terry Jones’ plans to burn a stack of Qurans at his Florida church, I doubt anyone can say they haven’t heard.

Before Jones announced he’d changed his mind and would not burn the Quran, Americans from Barack Obama to Sarah Palin criticized the plan.  Even the pope denounced it as outrageous.

Of course, after Jones changed his plans others took up the cause, including the infamous Westboro Baptist Church.  You’ll recall this is the church in Topeka that regularly demonstrates at the funerals of American military personnel;  its members carry signs saying the soldiers died because of America’s tolerance of homosexuals.  Whenever I hear of the Westboro Baptist Church I wonder if there might be some way we could copyright the name “Baptist,” so we could decide who could use it.  No, that’s a lie.  I want to copyright it so I can decide who can use it.

I finally heard enough of the discussion and the debating over Quran-burning that I decided someone needed to say something about it.  As you might have guessed, I also decided that someone was me.   The last straw was a two hour discussion I heard on the radio the other day.  The people who called the program were a mixed group:  some opposed the burning, some favored the burning.  Several admitted they were Christians.  Those Christians who were opposed to the Quran burnings couldn’t think of anything they could say to make the pastors reconsider their plans.  After all, the First Amendment gave them the right to burn the Quran if they wanted to.

I’ll get back to that in a bit.  For now, let me say that lately we Christians have struggled with knowing how handle our opponents Christianly and how to deal with the nut-cases in our ranks.  I hope to deal with the first problem and give the nut-cases a bit of advice along the way.

In all that I say, I want to drive home one point.  This is it.  As Christians, we are as obliged to weigh the consequences of our words and actions as surely as we are obliged to weigh the consequences of our silence and our inaction.

When we contemplate a course of action to be taken in the name of Christ, we have to ask certain key questions.

Does this action have the potential for harm?

Does this action have a potential to advance the cause of the gospel?

Does this action have a potential to open the door for dialogue or to close that door?

Does this action reflect godly prudence or human folly?

Keep those questions in mind as we meander through the rest of my thought on the Quran-burning debate—keeping in mind that what I say applies to other issues as well.

Whenever we approach such an issue we should ask if Jesus had anything to say regarding similar situations.

When Jesus sent his disciples out to spread the word of the Kingdom, he had some advice for them.  Among other things, he said, “I am sending you like lambs into a pack of wolves. So be as wise as snakes and as harmless as doves.”  (Matt. 10:16) 

When Jesus told his disciples to be “harmless as doves” did he have such behavior in mind only when things were going our way?  Was the dovelike harmlessness to be forgotten when we face a really obnoxious opponent?

Jesus and his disciples once visited a Samaritan village that refused to welcome Jesus.  James and John asked Jesus, “Master, do you want us to call a bolt of lightning down out of the sky and incinerate them?”

Now that’s a trick most teachers would like to pull off.  If, on the first day of class, you could direct a lightning bolt down on that unruly kid on the back row, you could almost guarantee you wouldn’t have any problem with whispering, note-passing, or spit-balls the rest of the year.

Jesus met James and John’s proposal with a rebuke.  One ancient writer pictured Jesus adding something like, “You people are completely clueless about the kind of people you’re supposed to be.  You’ve lost sight of what I’m about and, consequently, you’ve lost sight of what you’re supposed to be about.”  I’m fairly certain Jesus would say as much to those Quran-burning pastors.  I’m fairly certain he’s say something similar to those who bomb abortion clinics or demonstrate at soldiers’ funerals.

With that in mind, I want to offer a word to those who may be gathering matches and lighter fluid so they can join the Quran burning crusade.

Keep in mind one of Paul’s most chilling comments made to some of his own people.  In Romans 2:24 Paul accused some who claimed to be God’s people of behaving in such a way that they actually were causing others to hate God.  Imagine facing that indictment:  “God’s name is cursed among the nations because of you.”  That possibility ought to wake anyone up but I doubt it will.  Some will continue behaving in a way that hurts the cause of Christ and undermines the possibility of doing effective evangelism.  Why?  Perhaps they behave this way because they are emotionally or mentally ill.  Perhaps they behave this way because they are hate-filled racists who are blind to the darkness in their own hearts.  Perhaps they behave this way because they love the publicity.  They cannot be doing what they do because they love as Christ loved.

Did those who would burn the Quran have the right to do so?  According to the US Constitution they do.  Even so, shouldn’t they realize we Christians answer to a higher authority?  Unless they are willing to ignore the example of Christ and the apostles, they cannot claim to be following the Scripture in their actions.

Of course, back in July 2010 no Qurans were burned.  Now they have been and the anger has been unleashed, in Afghanistan at least.  I am saddened, but not surprised, at the comments posted online regarding the events.  So many support and defend these pastors.  Most of these comments seem to promote the idea that “the only good Muslim is a dead Muslim.”  I’m sure many making such comments will be in church on Sunday morning.

Such people may never realize that truth mediated through love will be the most effective way of reaching Muslims.  Samuel Zwemer understood that.  With that in mind, I want to close with a prayer written by this “apostle to Islam.”

Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, who hast made of one blood all nations and hast promised that many shall come from the East and sit down with Abraham in thy kingdom: We pray for thy prodigal children in Muslim lands who are still afar off, that they may be brought nigh by the blood of Christ. Look upon them in pity, because they are ignorant of thy truth.

           Hasten the day of religious freedom in Turkey, Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, and North Africa. Send forth reapers where the harvest is ripe, and faithful plowmen to break furrows in lands still neglected.

Strengthen converts, restore backsliders, and give all those who labor among Muslims the tenderness of Christ, so that bruised reeds may become pillars of his church, and smoking flax wicks burning and shining lights. Make bare Thine arm, O God, and show thy power. All our expectation is from thee.

           Father, the hour has come; glorify thy Son in the Muslim world, and fulfill through him the prayer of Abraham thy friend, "O, that Ishmael might live before thee." For Jesus’ sake. Amen.