A friend
of mine (Ericka Jackson) posted this earlier today and in light of recent
events, I thought it needed be shared with all of you. I don’t mean to offend
anyone but just to share my thoughts in a way that Ericka expressed better than
I could.
Today,
we remember September 11, 2001.
Nine years have passed since the attack on our country. Do you remember where
you were that day? Where were you when the second plane hit the World Trade
Center? Where were you when the towers fell?
For most of us, that day is hard to forget. We remember where we were, who we
were with, how we felt. We remember the fear, the chaos, and the horror we
witnessed. And every year, we take a moment to remember the lives that were
changed forever that day….
The innocent lives that were taken as the towers fell. The husbands that never
came home. The children left behind without parents. The firefighters,
policemen, and other heroes who laid down their lives to save others. The
soldiers who’ve been fighting ever since.
But how do
we remember?
That’s the question I’m asking today, after following the story of the pastor
in Florida who threatened to burn the Koran. The pastor whose hate caused
hysteria and riots overseas where at least three people were killed. The pastor
who spurred CHRISTIANS on to act out in their hatred of Muslims.
Have
we learned nothing?!
The attacks September 11th happened because of HATRED. They were planned in
HATRED and carried out by hateful extremists. If we remember that day with the
same HATE in our heart…. if we respond to memory with HATE…. well, then we
are no better than they are.
I understand the anger. I understand the rage. I understand the injustice. I
understand the loss and the tragedy that happened that day. But as Christians,
we are called to love.
Jesus LOVED in the face of HATE. He himself prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they
do”.
LOVE is the only thing that will stop this cycle of hate.
Over the past few years, the hatred and intolerance for Muslims in this country
has broken my heart. Do I want to be Muslim? No, I am a Christian. But does
that mean I should be hateful and intolerant towards Muslims? Absolutely not!
Somehow, our conservative politicians and christian leaders have started
teaching other conservatives that our country was founded as a safe haven for
CHRISTIANS, and only CHRISTIANS. That is absolutely WRONG. Our country was
founded as a haven for people who wanted religious freedom. That includes freedom
for every religion…. Christians, Jews, Hindus, and Muslims. That freedom is
one of the things that makes us so special.
But now….because a group of Muslim extremists acted out in HATE, we want to
take that freedom from all Muslims? If we want religious freedom, then we must
give religious freedom. It is that simple.
Not every Muslim is hateful. Not every Muslim is a terrorist. But many
Americans judge them as if they are. What if they judged us based on the
actions of a few hateful Christians? What if every other religion judged all
Christians based on the actions of the pastor in Florida who wanted to burn the
Koran? Or the hate-mongers from Westboro Baptist Church,
famous for their protests at military funerals, burning of flags, and hate and
intolerance for homosexuals? Or any of the others who’ve committed atrocities
in the name of “God”? Have we forgotten the Crusades?!
There are so many Christians who represent Christ imperfectly. If we are hoping
for grace and acceptance (despite the sins and hatred of other Christians),
then shouldn’t we be willing to give grace and acceptance?
I’m not trying to be insensitive here, and I’m not trying to make people angry.
I’m not trying to start some political debate. My only hope is that this blog
helps you remember that as Christians, we are called to LOVE.
After
all, Jesus loves Muslims too.
