As Muslims worldwide prepare for the holy month of Ramadan, which begins at sunset this evening, a church in Florida has announced plans to commemorate 9-11 with a ceremonial burning of the Qu’ran. Now that’s a real loving thing to do, eh? Actually, the church’s senior pastor says it is!
Ramadan is the ninth month in the Muslim lunar calendar. Historically, it is the month in which the prophet Mohamed received the first verses of the Qu’ran from Allah. Intentional and faithful prayer and fasting are required during this holy month. The most recent estimates put the world Muslim population at about 1.7 billion out of a total population of roughly 7 billion.
The senior pastor of Dove World Outreach Center, Dr. Terry Jones, has written a book entitled Islam is of the Devil. On the church’s website, Jones says that the book, together with the sign displaying the same sentiment and posted on the church’s property in Gainesville, is an act of love toward those whose souls are endangered by by the Muslim curse. The website also features Jones’s personal condemnations of abortion and homosexuality. I am sure that Dr. Jones is sincere in his convictions, but he is also naive.
However, I wonder how it is that a presumably well-educated man has missed the obvious historical connections between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam–all from the progeny of Abraham. We are all diminished when naivete morphs into intolerance.
In my previous pastorate, I was fortunate to serve in a highly diverse community. I served as president of the clergy association for three years there where I made fast friends with Jewish rabbis, at least one imam, and many Muslim lay leaders. I recall one year, when Ramadan, Hanukkah, and Christmas all fell at about the same time, and the marvelous time we had at one of our gatherings, eating and chatting about our different observances. My time in that community was one of the most enriching experiences of my life. I was in that pastorate on September 11, 2001 when we all wept and prayed together as children of Abraham.
Our world is changing. My Christian worldview is alternately challenged and enriched. May we all strive to discover our commonality as children of God. That seems much more genuinely loving than condemning our Muslim brothers and sisters.
A blessed Ramadan to all my Muslim friends.
Raising Basileia 