Letter - Love your enemies

To the editor:

The threat by Pastor Terry Jones of Gainesville, Florida to burn Korans to commemorate the tragedy that occurred on 9/11 in the name of Christ was unwise and unChrist-like.

It is one thing for a nation to protect itself from enemies and our government has a clear obligation to do so. It is another thing altogether for individual Christians to take actions that speak of hatred toward their enemies and the enemies of Christ. Jesus clearly commanded his followers to “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:44-45).

This command is impossible to carry out unless a person’s heart has been completely changed by God’s Spirit, but when it has been changed, it makes Christians stand out so differently from the rest of mankind as to make them seem unreal, yet compellingly attractive. They are attractive, because others are seeing Jesus in His followers. If I had been trying to show my Muslim neighbor the love of Jesus and had been attempting to convince him or her that Jesus is a better way than Mohammed, this stunt in Florida would have set my relationship back to an almost irreparable condition, or ruined it forever.

For the record, Jesus would not have threatened to do what this pastor threatened to do. Jesus will someday soon come as Judge of all the earth and justice will be done for all, but for now, His kindness is intended to bring people to repentance (Romans 2:4). As soon as Christians around this country learn this, the sooner people will think more highly of Christ’s followers.

Pastor Darryl Knappen

Cornerstone Church

Alexandria, MN

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