Who would have thought that the proposed commemoration of 9/11 by a small Florida church would become an international media phenomenon. Would 9/11 be honoured by burning a Qur’an? Or a trailer load of Qur’ans? Was a pastor doing the right thing by encouraging the burning of another faith’s sacred literature? Was it the right decision to call it off and announce a trade for the location of the “ground zero” mosque?
If you’re reading this blog (and I imagine you are or these words would be fruitless), you’ve probably already seen coverage of the objections from government and the military who expressed that the incident would be attributed to Americans and Christians, which would inspire extremists to take more extreme actions. I’m not so concerned with the extremists – who, let’s face it don’t need another excuse – as I am with those who are on the edge. Actions that create a sense of exclusion or rejection for moderate Muslims could well make them more susceptible to the message of extremists.
Certainly, the concern for the military and civilians travelling abroad compelled representatives from the American and Canadian governments to condemn the proposed Qur’an burning.
You’ve probably also seen the coverage of leaders noting their objections to the non-Christian nature of the proposed burning.
I was particularly moved by Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s personal statement on the issue.
“I don’t speak very often about my own religion, but let me be very clear: My God and my Christ is a tolerant God, and that’s what we want to see in this world,” he said.
“I unequivocally condemn it. We all enjoy freedom of religion and that freedom of religion comes from a tolerant spirit.”
“I don’t think that’s the way you treat other faiths, as different as those faiths may be from your own.”
The statement is brief, personal, biblically sound and a reflection of the freedom of religion we experience in North America. For me, this statement describes what is at the heart of the matter.
The concern expressed by governments and military leaders was for the security of people who would likely be impacted by the decision of Pastor Terry Jones and his congregation. The concern being expressed by many Christian leaders was for the security of Christians who may likely be impacted in nations where they are a minority of the population and freedom of religion is assessed in a different way.
For me, this was a WWJD moment.
Does anybody else remember “What would Jesus do?,” the question from Charles Sheldon’s 1896 spiritual fiction book In His Steps. My daughter gave me a WWJD bracelet many years ago and I still reflect on the question. WWJD? Well, Jesus hung out with saints and sinners. He had strong words of love and conviction to share with others. He did take a whip into the temple to clear it of commercial businesses and he had some harsh words for religious leaders who were “misleaders.” But all of that was motivated by a desire for reconciliation, not rebellion or destruction. Jesus’ message was about building relationships, not tearing them apart and building bridges, not walls.
Jesus’ best summary words on the subject may well be “Do to others what you would have them do to you.” (Matthew 7:12)
Late yesterday, Pastor Jones announced he was calling off the Qur’an burning in exchange for agreement to move the so-called “ground zero” mosque. Only thing is, those involved with the mosque project deny any such arrangement. What will Pastor Jones do if there’s no deal? What will others inspired to action by Pastor Jones’ plan do, whether supportive or opposed to the burning? And, in any event, WWJD?
In the contemporary setting of North America, the WWJD question generates for me a sentiment on the issue of burning the Qur’an that is well stated in a tweet from Pastor Ed Stetzer, “Glad I live where people have the freedom to burn a Qur’an. Wish I lived where pastors had the discernment not to.”
It seems that’s something that Prime Minister Harper, Pastor Stetzer and yours truly can agree on together with Jesus. What about you, Pastor Jones? Will this prove to be a let’s make a deal moment or a WWJD moment?