“The Burning Issue”

Recently a pastor in Florida had planned to burn a copy of the Koran, a book that is sacred to Moslems.   It was obvious that by his declaration, the pastor in Florida became the subject of the media and the news.   It also became a matter that was worthy of greater understanding in light of the Bible that we Lutheran Christians profess to be our standard of doctrine and practice.

The Bible teaches us that there is only one God.  According to my faith, Allah is a false god.  You can not have the Christian God and the Moslem God both exist.  There can only be one true God.  What the Koran teaches about Allah, about heaven and how one gets there, about attitudes toward those who do not believe, is totally different than what the Bible says about God, heaven, salvation, and attitudes concerning the unbelieving population. 

Jesus taught, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44).  St. Paul wrote, “"Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers" (Galatians 6:10).  St. Paul also wrote, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21).  We, as Christians, have an obligation to care for our enemies, to do good to them.  Jesus even gave us, “The Golden Rule” when He said, "So in everything, do to others as you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets" (Matthew 7:12). 

I don’t want anyone burning my Bible or ridiculing my Lord Jesus Christ.  Neither should we do that to other people.  The Golden Rule reminds me that my actions toward others is based upon how I would like them to treat me, regardless of how they really treat me.  Jesus shows that in His own life and sacrificial death as “He was reviled, but do not revile in return; when He suffered, did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him One who judges righteously” (1 Peter 2:23).

Some years ago there was an artist who photographed a plastic crucifix of Jesus in a jar of urine.  I guess some would call that art.  To me it is offensive.  But Jesus has taught me how to respond to those who would do such things against the Christian faith.  We are to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us.  That’s why most Christians seem to turn the other cheek.  They don’t threaten to kill those who offend their faith.  They pray for them that God would give them a change of heart.  We realize that God has called us to a higher standard. 

Besides, burning a sacred book of another person is not the kind of action that leads to open doors of witnessing about the love of God in Jesus Christ.  Our God has done wonderful things for the world.  The Apostle John wrote, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).  And St. Paul also wrote that God “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4).  Our actions should convey the desire that God has for the unbelieving world to come to the knowledge of the truth.

As people who bear the name of Christ, I pray that the Lord would remind us all of the higher standard to which we have been called. And may God open the hearts of people to know the incredible grace of God to humanity that is found only through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Pastor Robert C. Hass
September 12, 2010