Today, we remember September 11, 2001.
Nine years have passed since the attack on our country. Do you remember where you were that day? Where were you when the second plane hit the World Trade Center? Where were you when the towers fell?
For most of us, that day is hard to forget. We remember where we were, who we were with, how we felt. We remember the fear, the chaos, and the horror we witnessed. And every year, we take a moment to remember the lives that were changed forever that day….
The innocent lives that were taken as the towers fell. The husbands that never came home. The children left behind without parents. The firefighters, policemen, and other heroes who laid down their lives to save others. The soldiers who’ve been fighting ever since.
That’s the question I’m asking today, after following the story of the pastor in Florida who threatened to burn the Koran. The pastor whose hate caused hysteria and riots overseas where at least three people were killed. The pastor who spurred CHRISTIANS on to act out in their hatred of Muslims.
The attacks September 11th happened because of HATRED. They were planned in HATRED and carried out by hateful extremists. If we remember that day with the same HATE in our heart…. if we respond to memory with HATE…. well, then we are no better than they are.
I understand the anger. I understand the rage. I understand the injustice. I understand the loss and the tragedy that happened that day. But as Christians, we are called to love.
Jesus LOVED in the face of HATE. He himself prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do”.
Over the past few years, the hatred and intolerance for Muslims in this country has broken my heart. Do I want to be Muslim? No, I am a Christian. But does that mean I should be hateful and intolerant towards Muslims? Absolutely not!
Somehow, our conservative politicians and christian leaders have started teaching other conservatives that our country was founded as a safe haven for CHRISTIANS, and only CHRISTIANS. That is absolutely WRONG. Our country was founded as a haven for people who wanted religious freedom. That includes freedom for every religion…. Christians, Jews, Hindus, and Muslims. That freedom is one of the things that makes us so special.
But now….because a group of Muslim extremists acted out in HATE, we want to take that freedom from all Muslims? If we want religious freedom, then we must give religious freedom. It is that simple.
Not every Muslim is hateful. Not every Muslim is a terrorist. But many Americans judge them as if they are. What if they judged us based on the actions of a few hateful Christians? What if every other religion judged all Christians based on the actions of the pastor in Florida who wanted to burn the Koran? Or the hate-mongers from Westboro Baptist Church, famous for their protests at military funerals, burning of flags, and hate and intolerance for homosexuals? Or any of the others who’ve committed atrocities in the name of “God”? Have we forgotten the Crusades?!
There are so many Christians who represent Christ imperfectly. If we are hoping for grace and acceptance (despite the sins and hatred of other Christians), then shouldn’t we be willing to give grace and acceptance?
I’m not trying to be insensitive here, and I’m not trying to make people angry. I’m not trying to start some political debate. My only hope is that this blog helps you remember that as Christians, we are called to LOVE.
WOW. This is hard truth at its best.
Thank you for this. I have been disgusted by what has been coming out of the mouths of pastors, politicians, and ‘celebrities’ who profess to follow Christ. It’s becoming an ‘us vs. them’ thing, and in my opinion, its the exact opposite of what Jesus would do. It’s so disheartening.