CLIFTON, Virginia: I am a man of faith. I have been a Christian pastor for 25 years in the United Methodist Church. It is out of this deep commitment to the principles of my faith that I feel I need to do something — anything — in response to the potential hate crime that will be perpetrated by a Christian church, the Dove World Outreach Center, in Gainesville, Florida, on 11 September 2010.
Despite the fact that authorities for the city of Gainesville have denied a permit for the event, saying that open burnings of books are not allowed in the city, Pastor Terry Jones has promised to burn copies of the Quran in the parking lot of his church on the ninth anniversary of the 11 September attacks.
What can I do to confront such hatred and ignorance?
I believe that every action creates an equal and opposite reaction and that actions of hatred, intolerance and ignorance create an ever escalating cyclical pattern of more hatred, intolerance and ignorance. And so I have been searching for an alternative path, a response more in keeping with the love and grace embodied in the founder of my religion, Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace.
What symbolic act can I perform that can help undo the hate embodied in the burning of these Qurans and help foster peace and understanding across faith traditions?
I have decided that when 11 September arrives this year, for every Quran this church burns in the name of my God, I will deliver a Quran to a church within the United States to be included in their church library, because it seems that at this important time in history I can only combat such hate through actions of love and peace.
Misinformation about Islam and cherry picking Quranic verses out of context has become a troubling trend in the United States. The Internet is being used to widely disseminate lies, half-truths and distortions that are insulting, hate-filled messages of anti-Muslim and anti-Islam propaganda. These must be countered with messages of the truth that will lead to peace with justice. Islamophobia can best be addressed through further knowledge and understanding of the Quran.
What can one person do? I would encourage you to purchase a Quran and present it as a gift to your church or place of worship. If we cannot increase tolerance within the United States and our world, I fear we are headed for a very violent future.
On 11 September 2010 in response to the burning of the Holy Quran, I — as a Christian pastor — will choose to sow seeds of love and tolerance by giving Qurans to local churches where they might not only be a symbolic gesture of peace and religious tolerance, but might also be read to better understand that, like Christianity, Islam is a complex, nuanced and dynamic faith with its roots in mercy, justice and peace.
What will you do?
* NB: This column was written before news that Pastor Terry Jones had backtracked on his Quran-burning day plan.
Rev. Wayne Lavender, Ph.D. is a United Methodist pastor and executive director of Passing the Peace, an organization whose mission is to create a world of peace and justice. This article was written for the Common Ground News Service (CGNews).
