Today, I saw a news report that tore the heart from my chest. The past few days, on the news, there has been a story about a pastor from Florida who is planning on burning copies of the Koran on September 11 to prove some kind of point to extreme Islam. This man claims to be a Christian. Now the good thing, from my perspective, is how different church faces, such as the pope and Franklin Graham have publicly denounced what this pastor is doing. Yet, the fact still remains is that a man that claims to be Christian is doing something so anti-Christ. What does he hope to accomplish?
The other thing that made me happy and yet extremely sad was how an Islamic church leader, went over to this man to offer him some explanations and support. He reached out to this “Christian extremist” in order to diffuse the situation. Thanks be to God for that! Yet, it makes me so angry because he is doing exactly what Christians should have been doing all along, ever since 9/11/01.
“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Rom. 12:21
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Proverbs 25:21-22
Why haven't the Christians stood up and embraced Muslims, especially those who live right next door? Where has the power of the gospel gone that one “Christian” man wants to repay evil with evil and where a Muslim embraces him in the love, fulfilling the very mandates in our own Bible? Stand up, Christians! Bring the Love of Christ to the world!
To you Muslims and others who have been hurt by Christians, I apologize from the bottom of my heart for “Christians” like this preacher from Florida. Our king, Jesus the Christ, does not teach what this man teaches. Jesus teaches a love that is so deep and so wide, we can't even express it in human words. The two passages above are a glimpse of what Jesus taught.
“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13
“Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned.” John 3:14-18
Jesus, God's only Son, loved us so much, that he took all our sins, placed them on his shoulders, and became a sacrifice of atonement for everyone who believe in him. That is the love that Christians are supposed to be showing. We are supposed to give our very lives, in order to save our brothers and sisters around us.
Again, to those of you who have been hurt by the church and Christians, I apologize. Please forgive us.
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2 comments:
Dear friend
for me as Arab and Muslim girl and completely anti terrorist and completely anti hate , believe like you do that "love power" is much more effective and stronger than hate let me first apologize & express my deep condolence for the victims families , WE WILL NEVER FORGET THEM , am normal citizen , translator , & i felt when i saw the news about the pastor plans like Oh my god now the both sides controlled by HATE , it makes me very sad because since Sept. 11 i used to hope and dream that it should be peace and meeting points between people , between religions .
you know , i believe in the same book the pastor was going to burn , i did not felt i hate him or hate Americans No i felt like we are all victims of big misunderstanding ! Americans don't understand Arabs & Arabs don't have the ability to communicate & show the world that they can be civilized nations :( on the other side terrorists used a very wrong methods , ways , explanations & twist every verse of the koran to find a good excuse to the crimes they do.
i think now we need to press pause every body pause and think do we want to lead the world to ww3 ? do we really wish to see suffer and kill every where ? are we really in need for a new religious war ??
it would happen if we let hate control us .. all of us
BTW
I DO BELIEVE IN THESE WORDS :)
“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Rom. 12:21
I DO BELIEVE IN THESE WORDS :)
“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Rom. 12:21
but my book is not evil , the pure evil are the people who twist the meanings , use methods and ways to make kind of brain wash to young men and turn them to terrorists .
the real evil not in the book , the real evil in the people minds
regards:)
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