If you’ve seen the news this week, you’ve heard of the church in Gainesville, FL planning to burn copies of the Koran this weekend. Terry Jones’ bonfire has dominated news coverage, fueling the fires (pun intended) of Muslim-Christian conflict leading up to September 11.
At the outset, let me be clear. Christians create and critique books; we don’t burn them. We have always been on the front lines of increasing literacy, that we might open the world of books (and especially the Bible) to everyone everywhere. The actions of this tiny church in Florida do not represent the views of the vast majority of Christians.
The frustrating part of this story is the fact that it is a story. It tells us very little about how evangelicals view their Muslim neighbors and very much about the media’s willingness to seize any opportunity to create and maintain chaos.
Think about it. Is this church’s actions going to cause conflict between Muslims and Christians? Yes. But only because newspapers and TV talking heads blew up the story for the world to see.
Is the imagery of Koran-burning going to hurt the perception of American Christians in other parts of the world? Absolutely. But only because the news media has asked that question and seared that picture into our imagination. Even if the church decided to call off the bonfire, the damage is already done.
In a day of 24/7 news, journalists feel constant pressure to stay on top of stories like this, even if they are manufactured and promoted by other news outlets. How could they keep from reporting this story, especially when they had the chance to increase sympathy for Muslims, heap scorn on evangelicals, and cause conflict before September 11? It was the perfect story to accomplish all three tasks.
When I think about the obligatory condemnations coming from military commanders, politicians and leaders, I shake my head at how much time and energy has been wasted here. If Saddleback Church were burning books, you’d have a story. But traveling to the fringe and honoring such actions with this much media attention only exacerbates the problem and causes other fringe groups to try the same tactics.
(By the way, does anyone notice that whenever radical Muslims act out journalists are quick to remind us that most Muslims are not this way? And yet when fringe Christian groups do silly things, journalists use the occasion to take a swipe at evangelicals?)
Regardless of the media’s creation of this story, evangelicals need to remember that it’s not book burning that brings lasting change; it’s the gospel. And the gospel is spread not by fanning the flames of hatred toward those in false religions, but by churches proclaiming good news and demonstrating this news through self-sacrifice and love.
Much more effective than the book-burning antics of a tiny church is the testimony of men and women who choose to surrender their bodies to the flames of persecution rather than deny the One who has redeemed them. Christ calls us to lay our lives on the altar, not someone else’s books.
