TERRY JONES AND THE BURNING OF KORANS

Anyone who knows me, knows that I have served as a Chaplain in the U.S. Air Force (Now the VA) for many years.  Ever since the late 80s, I have held as a part of my ministry to provide for the freedom of expression of religion.  This has put me in some strange places, but none that I regret; for example, I stood with a young enlisted airmen (Muslim), and I supported his right to pray during Ramadan, (5 times a day) even when his supervisor opposed his religious rights.  After consulting with my superiors, I told the supervisor, "So long as this young man's religious practices do not interfere with the mission of the Air Force, he has the right to fast and pray during these special days.  If he does not have the right to pray, you (supervisor was Christian) nor I have the right to pray during the day either.  If we forbid his right to pray, what will stop someone from forbidding you and  me  praying." Air Force Systems Command adopted this policy.

When I was recalled to active duty after September 11, 2001, a First Sergeant and Islamic friend of mine, came to me asking me to help provide a place of worship for the 78 muslim nation's represented @ CENTCOM.  The American Muslims were more easy to work with, but the ones in CENTCOM, as I was told by this First Sergeant, were afraid of me.  Why?  Because, as they told him, "In our country we would kill that Chaplain for being a Christian."  To which I responded, "Well we are not in their country, we are in The United States of America.  We do not kill people who believe different from us."

I am telling you this because, each one of my Islamic friends, if they needed to talk, had little difficulty coming to me (as their Chaplain) to sort through some very tough issues regarding going to war against other Muslims.  But MORE importantly, I was able to share my faith and beliefs about about Jesus with them.  Why would they allow me to do this?  I was allowed to do so  because I earned their respect, and I gave them respect.  And because I listened to them as they shared their faith with me.  A few, like the afore mentioned First Sergeant, became friends.

Jesus tells His followers, "You are the light of the world."  He does not tell us we are darkness cursers of the world.  Nor does He tell us to shine the light in peoples faces.  In our Christian Sacred Book (the Bible) we are told it is a "lamp for our feet" and it is a light for our path.  I have never known anyone who is stumbling in the dark  to be angry with me for shining light on the ground to keep them from falling. I have never seen anyone want to hurt me, when I help them along the way at night with a little light.

Jesus also told us to do unto others as we would have them do unto us.  Now that is giving folks their "propers."  It is giving them genuine respect because I treat them as I would want them to treat me.

What does all this have to do with Terry Jones?  NOTHING!  There is NOTHING Christian about what he is doing, "in the name of Christ." What he is doing, when he burns a Quran, is blinding people with a bond fire. He is burning what they consider sacred, holy and beloved. He is cursing his view of  "darkness."  He is  providing kindling for the very radicals he opposes to ignite their own bonfire of hatred against us!  He is not being the light of the world. He is being the opposite of what we have been instructed by our LORD: He is being the one who curses what he believes is darkness. 


Here are some thoughts I would like you to consider: How in the world can Terry Jones possibly want someone to burn our Holy Book?  He would  fight you if anyone even tried to burn a Bible.   He would hate you, if you even struck a match and touched one page of Christianity's Holy Scripture.  I realize he quotes Acts 19:19 to justify his weirdness, but this passage records Christians who determined, on their own, to burn their own materials.  They did this to break the hold of their past on their present and future.  They were not burning some other person's sacred things.

Question: How in the world can Terry Jones, in his own tormented imagination, think that burning the Quran is in any way doing to the Muslims what he would want done unto himself.  Something very weird about this man's view of BEING what Jesus called us to BE.

Yes we are in war.  Yes there are some Islamic people who clearly want to kill us and do us harm; yet I do not, in anyway, think Terry Jones and his followers are doing anything but making matters worse.  I know about all the Leaders of our Nation have condemned Terry Jones'  activity; however, there is someone's opinion that is FAR more important than our President, General Pretraus or  Sarah Palin. What Terry Jones  is doing in NO WAY honors Christ Jesus and His Kingdom. I cannot imagine Jesus supporting such abhorrent behavior this man plans to visit upon people who are different from himself.

Please consider being whom Jesus has called us to be.  Please follow the teachings of our Savior, LORD and Teacher (The Son of God).  Be the light of the world.  Treat others as you want to be treated.  Then...

Be Blessed 2-day ... Especially 2-day

SoJourner