Christian response

All around our country, including on the campus of Luther Seminary, people are abuzz with the talk of the current hot topic of Islam in America. On Good Morning America yesterday, they hosted a panel of teens to discuss this very issue. Topics addressed included: Muslim and Christian relations in a post 9/11 era, the building of the Mosque near ground zero, and the attempted burning of the Quran in Florida. It's fascinating to see these issues through the lens of America's youth. (Check it out on the ABC website) My discipleship group is also preparing to talk about this issue, so it has been on my mind. Consider these only a few thoughts on the matter and not in anyway a comprehensive effort. (Also a shout out to the MHS journalism class who is tackling some of these tough issues in their student newspaper with amazing insight. Great work!)

There is a statistic floating around that 80% of New Yorkers oppose the building of the Mosque near ground zero. However, this small sampling of teens did not follow this trend. Most of the non-Muslim participants seem to think it was well within the rights of this particular Muslim community to build this Mosque and community center. The sole voice opposed brings perhaps the most interesting dynamic to the conversation. This voice is the 14 year old son of the pastor from Florida whose Church planned the Quran burning. There was at least one other Christian in the group, a Catholic teen girl. She believed the attempted Quran burning and prejudice against Muslims was morally wrong. And yet, the voice most featured was the one of the pastor's son, who used a single and obscure Bible verse to justify his opinion on the matter.

This moment in the history of our country is one of great significance. We have the opportunity to build a bridge between the Muslim and non-Muslim Americans, or we have the opportunity to further the schisms that already exist. As a Christian, I believe it's the Christian community's responsibility to extend the grace and love of Jesus rather than choose hatred. Jesus spoke prophetic words of loving one's neighbor, loving one's enemy, and calling peacemakers blessed. This humble service and love for others is not an easy path. But it's the path we are called to follow if we truly seek to be disciples of Christ. All too often the media only vocalizes the voices of hate, so hopefully people can begin speaking messages of love to counter that. Just a few musings to ponder as you see all of these stories out there in the media!