It’s been a hectic summer, and to be honest I haven’t really kept up with the recent controversy over a proposed Islamic mosque and 
community center (Cordoba House) that would be built near Ground Zero in Lower Manhattan. It’s certainly worthy of some hearty discussions among Christians and non-Christians alike, but I don’t think I have much to say that hasn’t already been said. The events of 9/11 were obviously very painful for all Americans, and many of the initial negative reactions are certainly understandable.
But I came across the following blog post this morning that is worth reading if you’re at all interested in this debate (or any other political and cultural conflict for that matter) . The context is specifically in regards to the Cordoba House, but it’s applicable to so much more. Here’s a brief quote by Skye Jethani, followed by a link to the post (originally published in The Washington Post).
As long as we primarily view the world as a dangerous place, we will never find the power to obey Jesus’ teachings. This is why he begins his Sermon on the Mount with a new vision of the world as a perfectly safe place for those who entrust themselves to Christ. He presents a world in which the poor, the forgotten, the mourning, and the meek are blessed by God; and a world where death itself is overcome. Only when we see this as a God-with-us world in which our lives and wellbeing are eternally in his care can we abandon fear and answer, by faith, the dangerous and irrational call to love. Perhaps this is why one of the most common commands in the Bible is “do not be afraid.”
Fear, not doubt, is the great enemy of faith.
Here’s the link to the original post:
this comment is interesting: http://www.skyejethani.com/a-christian-reponse-to-the-ground-zero-mosque/584/#comment-3531
I read Skye’s post, and I honestly think a lot of it is just his own ideas.
“As long as we primarily view the world is a dangerous place, we will never find the power to obey Jesus’ teachings.”
I actually think Jesus KNEW that the world was primarily dangerous. He prepped for it (reading scripture, fasting, praying, building a fellowship), and he confronted it (healing people, dying on the cross). I am not sure why viewing the world as dangerous is bad.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is not saying the world is not dangerous (or evil), but that despite it being dangerous and evil, the Kingdom of God is almost directly opposite. It is descriptive of the Kingdom of God (especially a regenerated earth), not descriptive of the current kingdoms of the world, but prescriptive, saying this is how we should live.
Of course there are Christians who are fear-mongers and try to freak everyone out, but I think the mosque debate is a bit more complex than that, especially for thoughtful people (Christian and non-Christian). The mosque will be symbolic, and the debate is also about what it represents.
On another note, loving people is different than allowing their evil actions. Jesus loved the tax collectors. He did not give them bags to keep their money in. He loved prostitutes, but he did not rent them rooms to promote their business.
Hey… thanks for the comments! Definitely good to get some feedback…
For me, personal context (and timing) had a lot to bear on my interpretation of the blog post. I had recently spent time with some Christians who were paralyzed by fear – fear of our enemies, fear of losing freedom, fear of economic collapse, fear of losing political control. The idea of not being afraid resonated with me. I didn’t read Jethani’s comments as “the world is not dangerous”, but rather that we should not live within a primary worldview that is dominated by fear. Our response should be one of faith – not fear – when we encounter all of the danger and evil that it in this fallen world, and we should have the confidence that our Kingdom is indeed unshakeable (Hebrews 12).
And in my same personal context, I saw people whose fear was resulting in hate – hatred of Muslims, hatred of political parties, hatred of people who are “not like us”.
So the thought of “abandoning fear and answering, by faith, the dangerous and irrational call to love” struck a chord with me. It seemed to be very much in line with the thoughts of perfect love driving out fear and of loving our brother (I John).
I certainly don’t think (at least I hope) that Jethani or anyone else is endorsing renting out rooms for prostitutes as an act of love! Seems to me that (in context) the intent was more about not letting the evil (say, of prostitution) bear fruits of fear and hatred within our lives. And I definitely don’t think that it means that we ignore evil either.
As for the mosque debate, I agree that it is much more complex. This post just helped me to frame it within one specific context – that of fear and hatred and the damage that it can do to us as believers. If someone’s reason for opposing the mosque is solely out of fear and hatred, then I think it deserves some deeper soul searching.
Given that Jesus really only seemed to save his anger and ire for religious leaders and others that were giving the church/God a bad name, I wonder how He’d react to something like this. And no, I refuse to use the phrase “What Would Jesus Do” here. Dang it!