SO SURE

Pastor Terry Jones of the Dove World Outreach Centre in Florida is so sure of the truth of his gospel that he is planning on marking the ninth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks by holding Qu'ran Burning Day. This story has sparked a lot of interested from curious media outlets and concerned religious leaders around the globe.

This guy is small potatoes; his congregation is supposed to be only about 50 people. I work with a church several times that size, yet the ministry I do, the sermons I preach are not making news. Is that a good or a bad thing?

Jone's message is larger than he is, or his church is. His hate is big hate. Ironically, his perspective is narrow. Actually that makes sense. He seems unable to view Islam and muslim people as anything but a simply defined, homogeneous group. He seems so sure that all muslims must be painted with the same hateful brush that he is unable to see the diversity.

He is motivated by his version of the Christian gospel that sees all non-Christians as enemies and a danger to his version of True-Christians. And so it doesn't matter to him that the vast majority of Islamic believers do not share Bin Laden's views or motives. They are not professing Christians - that is all that matters. And (to his credit) he knows that hate sells, it always has.

Where is Jesus' compassion? Where is a recognition of what we followers of Jesus hold in common with our sister faith?

Hate breeds hate. Even if he calls off the official burning (which I suspect he might now that issue has become one of safety of US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan), qu'rans will be burned on Saturday and it will be broadcast around the world.

Hate sells. Hate will have its day.

The real challenge is: let us be sure that hate does not get the final word!