Some of you may have heard about people around the blogosphere blogging the Quran on September 11 as a sign of peace and reconciliation, and as a peaceful response to the burning of Qurans in Florida (which was cancelled, thank God), but people still felt compelled to respond in some way to promote understanding and acceptance. So, now that I've had a chance to sit down and flip through my copy of the Quran, I thought I would give this a try.
Our country has displayed more ignorance in the past few weeks than I have ever seen in my lifetime. Many people have unfortunately promoted a message of hatred and intolerance rather than the true message of Christ- peace, love, and tolerance above all else. It is so unfortunate that many around the world see one or two religious leaders saying or doing something, and automatically assume that they speak for all Christians and their leaders, but many have responded in peaceful ways that I hope will counteract those thoughts. It may be too late. The damage may already have been done. Nonetheless, being a Christian is about having hope. It's about showing love. It's about accepting others even though you don't agree with them, look different from them, or don't understand them. It's about being the Gospel, living like Christ. Would Jesus have burned a Quran? I don't think so! In fact, I know that he wouldn't. Jesus is famous for hanging out with those that no one else would welcome. He touched those that no one else wanted to touch. He wanted to understand people that no one else would even consider talking to. So my heart aches whenever I see Christian leaders acting in such a way that is so amazingly un-Christian and sending a message that looks more like the picture of evil that a picture of Christ. So let's stop the ignorance. Let's accept one another. If we don't know something, ask questions. So this is why I want to try to do a small thing in "blogging the Quran," to show that in the end, we worship the same God. We tell similar stories of Abraham, Noah, Joseph, Jesus, etc. In the end, our message should be one of peace, forgiveness, and love. In the end, we should love one another. We have already sacrificed too much to make this happen. But if we have hope, maybe someday we will sit down and begin to understand one another.
One of the important things I learned in my Islam classes is that the only book really considered a "Quran" is in the Arabic language. All other translations are considered "the meaning of the Holy Quran."
Surah 13, section 2, verses 8-11:
Allah doth know what every female womb doth bear,
by how much the wombs fall short of their time or number or do exceed.
Every single thing is before His sight in due proportion.
He knoweth the unseen and that which is open: He is Great. The Most High.
It is the same to Him whether any of you conceal His speech or declare it openly;
Whether he lie hid by night or walk forth freely by day.
For each such person there are angels in succession. Before and behind him:
They guard him by command of Allah. Verily never will Allah change the condition
of a people until they change it themselves with their own souls.
This reminds me of the Psalm 139 in our Old Testament/Hebrew Scriptures:
O Lord, you have searched me and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord.
You hem me in behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty to attain.
Where can I go from your spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast....
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
May you seek to understand for yourself about different faiths rather than condemn or judge, or God forbid, come to hate. Understand our similarities. Understand our differences. Then find a way to peacefully extend a hand out of love. That's what we are here to do.
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