Four day weekends always throw me off kilter. More than once today I had to remind myself that this is Tuesday and not Monday. You would think that any normal human being wouldn't have to adjust like that. Next Monday will also be an odd day as it is time for round five of therapy. My doctor mentioned that going through this process is like riding a roller coaster. She is right on target with that analogy. About the time your body begins to feel normal you find that it is time again to fill it with poison. We should stop there lest the temptation to whine becomes too great to overcome.

The news today is covering a church down in Florida that plans to burn Muslim holy books on this Saturday. That is the ninth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in Washington and New York. Let me honest enough to say that I do not know much about all of this. My attention today was elsewhere rather than on this story. I do not know the minister who is leading his church in this action. Neither am I familiar with the congregation that is involved. All of this is said so you are very clear that this is not my area of expertise. My few words here will be secondary to whatever else happens down south.

I do know that on the surface this seems like a very bad idea to me. Odds are that the intentions of this congregation are noble in some sense. You cannot even disagree with them in terms of Islam being outside the teaching of Scripture. Some Muslims say that the religion is being perverted by a radical element of followers. This very well may be true but biblical faith rests in the central figure of Jesus of Nazareth as God's one and only son. There is also room within our national constitution on religious freedoms. More than a few of our founding fathers were more deist than evangelical Christian. I am no scholar on the law but it stands to reason that if a group wishes to burn the Koran, the Bible or any other holy book then they are free to do just that. It still does not make it the smartest of ideas. Ours is a unique country with wonderful freedoms given to us by those original seekers of independence. The real test of living in freedom is how well we work out differences with those we do not agree.

I will admit to being a simple man. It just seems again to me that there is a better way of coming to terms with issues like this. Would Jesus of Nazareth advocate the burning of another group's holy book? Let me confess that I don't know. What seems to be true is His desire for those who follow Him to change the world without needing a flame thrower. He is the truth. It is a truth that may or may not need debating. It is indeed a truth that needs to be told as well as lived. History says that the church as a spotty record at best in dealing with those on the opposite side. Lincoln recognized during the Civil War the strangeness that believers on both sides of the slavery conflict would be asking God for His blessing. We still struggle today with racism in ways subtle and blatant. I do believe that life begins at conception. This does not mean you will see me in violent action against those who believe in choice. If we are followers of Jesus then we must let that flavor our politics, our economics and our theology.

Pogo once said, "we have met the enemy and he is us." One thing is true about Islam. They are passionate about their beliefs. Most of the excitement in church comes during business meetings when we get a good fight started. I do know some people who get stirred up when someone gets their seat in church. Seems to me that the enemy has us so busy choosing sides over non essentials that we are no real threat to his business. Maybe 9/11 is a good day for God's people to pray for missionaries who live in countries where other religions dominate. Perhaps we can decide to make God's mission our main order of business. He promised His Spirit would enable us to be witnesses wherever we find ourselves. Very little good usually comes out of burning books. Great things happen when God's word starts to shape our character along with our conduct. It's easy to blame others for the troubles we face. Let's be honest with our faith to move past our troubles into all of His blessing for those who are faithful.

Bro. Trey