Where’s the love?

Flowers on my windowsill.

 So I hear there’s this big kerfuffle going on that’s marring the 9/11 memorials this year. Something about a mosque in New York, and a pastor in Florida and the planned desecration of someone’s holy book?

Have we all gone crazy?

Remember 10 years ago? First there was shock, then horror, and then people came together in the face of it, selflessly giving to those who had need by those who could . Remember that?

Now it seems we’re all afraid of Muslims. I wonder how many people going crazy actually know any Muslims personally. I would guess that very few do. Because if they did, they would see that they are just people, just like me, or you.

My little sister is married to a Muslim. I don’t know him as well as I would like, them living in Canada and all, but I can tell you this. He’s a good husband, a devoted father. He’s thoughtful and intellectual and funny. He is a unique individual. He isn’t a Sunni or a Shiite. In fact his sect of Islam isn’t commonly recognized by either of those sects. He, and the other Muslims I know as well, would no more wish to be associated with and evaluated by the actions of the 9/11 terrorists than I want to be lumped in with that church in Florida who thinks that burning a Quran is any sort of good idea.

I’d really rather that people don’t judge me by the actions of the medieval church during the crusades or the pogroms, or by pedophile priests in Belgium or Boston either. I hope that people will be able to tell that even though I revere the same scriptures those people claim to, perhaps believe in the same deity, I am not like them. I am myself. I also hope that they won’t judge all Christians based on the actions of a few.

So I’d like to just add one more thing, for the benefit of those who claim to be followers of Jesus and yet think that attacking followers of Islam is in some way acceptable.

Jesus said, and I quote,

“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward do you get? Are not even the tax collectors (read despised people) doing that? If you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Matthew 5:43-48

Just to be clear, Muslims are not the enemy. But even if they were, doing anything other than loving them and praying for them seems to me a terrible misstep on our part, one directed by fear rather than love. Especially by those claiming to follow Jesus.

Don’t you think?