I’m not sure I understand why Terry Jones, a pastor of a small congregation in Florida, burned a copy of the Quran in a public service a few weeks ago. He said he did it as a statement against radical Islam. Jones isn’t the first clergyman to mix religion and politics, and I’m sure he won’t be the last, but as so often happens when we do this, the message we have been called to deliver as Christ-followers has been over-shadowed by a lesser message.
Our message, as well as our mission, does not focus on eradicating infidels (whether real or contrived). That is the message of groups like the radical Islamists Jones condemns. Christians believe the word of God is shaper than any two-edged sword. We seek to transform the world God loves through spreading the word, not brandishing the sword or burning books.
Every believer is a missionary. Can you imagine a missionary going to a Moslem country and seeking to win them to Christ by burning a copy of the Quran? Of course not. According to media reports, many Moslems have been turned away from Christ by this book burning instead of having been drawn to Christ.
I think what Terry Jones did was wrong because it misses the point of the Gospel. What do you think?
