Sunday Methodist Sermon

The Sunday sermon that Jeff Metzger gave at the Barnard Methodist Church must have been interesting.  I promptly received a few comments about it including this one that a reader sent that was taken from the Hutchinson News.  They sent this in with the idea of it being a rebuttal to the sermon, to which I advised that they send it directly to the pastor.  However, regardless of the circumstances, it is a good read and very thought provoking.

Christians must trade hate for love

By Bob Layne

Recently I heard it said, “No one can hate like a Christian.” Whoa! I’m a devout Christian and that statement is a cruel insult, a gross exaggeration, a blasphemous accusation. That is, of course, until you’ve paused and listened with an open heart to people the Christian church has deeply wounded with its bitter bigotry, severe condemnation and arrogant rejection.

During the 1980s I served as a pastoral counselor in a large private therapy practice in Wichita. Since I was a priest, nearly all homosexual clients were assigned to me. It was the church that had done them the most harm. Repeatedly I listened to and entered into the hells these wounded people had endured and in which many continued to live. It was the Christian church that had labeled them disgusting, perverted, unclean, and horrible abominations.

They lived in frightened isolation, denying themselves and living in pretense. They spoke of friends who had committed suicide rather than continuing to live in deceit and self-loathing. They so often bemoaned the seeming futility of finding a reason to live. From their tragic stories I learned personally that “No one can hate like a Christian.” 


Christian hate is extra cruel because it is blasphemous. We proclaim our message in the name of the God of all, who loves all He creates. This Jesus, whose title we bear, reached out to all marginalized, unclean and sinful persons. He affronted the pious, the pure, the patriot, the powerful, and all the self-righteous of His time. He called His followers to do “even greater things” in His name; to love without measure; to serve without cost; to welcome all the least of this world as we would welcome Him.

The church’s failure to continue Jesus’ inclusive and loving ministry is in the story of every homosexual person who has reached out to the church only to be scorned. Christian hatred is especially heinous and hellish, for with each denial of the lost we have denied our Lord Jesus. Even Pope Francis is calling for “love” before “law.” Can we finally listen?

Sadly, however, some Christians now have another target: Muslims are becoming the “enemy of choice.” Islam is now the source of all evil. Muslims must be condemned to hell by word and deed. A so-called Christian pastor in Florida has been arrested and stopped from insulting every Muslim by ceremoniously burning 2,998 copies of the Quran – one for every victim of the 9/11 attacks on America. This radical, self-proclaimed cleric seeks to inflict insult and injury on every Muslim by placing the blame of the horror of 9/11 on all Muslims.

This is salacious and evil. It was a wealthy diabolical genius and 19 fanatical young Muslims who attacked America. Such myopic hatred and cruelty, as expressed by this fanatical clergy person, is a disgrace to every follower of Jesus, the Prince of Peace. This man insults not only Muslims but every person who seeks to follow Jesus. The Muslims he seeks to affront are fellow American citizens, loyal to this country. They have a constitutional right to practice their faith as do we Christians. Thanks be to God, this man’s evil plan was thwarted.

How many Americans have taken the time, or given the effort, to learn something about Islam and Muslims? Following 9/11, I began a personal study plan to learn about this worldwide religion. I’ll admit I started with “Islam for Dummies,” but at least it was a start. I’ve since read other tomes by Islamic scholars and I’ve perused much of the holy Quran.

To more personally experience Islam, during Lent of ’08 I attended the Friday prayers at the Wichita mosque. I shared in prayer, listened to the sermon, and spent time discussing Islam and Christianity with other attendees. I was treated with warm hospitality, respect and sincere regard.

I learned much and came to greatly appreciate Islam and respect its followers. As I listened and learned, any anxiety disappeared and my own faith in Jesus was deepened, not lessened. For me, Jesus is Lord, but I will not limit His love to only folks like me. My Lord is bigger than that.

What did I learn from my Muslim friends? I learned that for Muslims the Quran is the “word of God,” as Jesus is the “Word” for Christians. Muslims learn and read the Quran in the language in which it was delivered: Arabic. How many Christians would learn Hebrew and Greek in order to read the Bible in the language it was written?

I learned that the “five pillars of Islam” are worthy spiritual exercises. First, the “shahada” is an acknowledgment of God and recognition of His prophet, Mohamed. It begins each day. Would that my Christian kin began each day with an acknowledgement of the Lord Jesus and expressed their loyalty to Him. Second, there is “salat” – mental and physical prayer offered to God five times a day. Again, how I wish we Christians would pause regularly just once a day to pray.

Third, there is “zakat” – financial giving required of every Muslim to help the poor. Fourth is the demand for annual fasting: “saum.” During Ramadan a Muslim cannot eat or drink anything from dawn to dusk. Could not only our spiritual lives, but our weight struggles, be helped by regular fasting?

Finally, there is the expectation that every adult Muslim (if physically and financially able) make the pilgrimage to Mecca: “hajj.” My wife and I have made three pilgrimages to the Holy Land. Each time was a glorious experience of holy geography. I wish every Christian could or would make such a spiritual journey.

From my limited study, these five pillars of Islam are surely no threat to America, but could be valuable guides to any religious person. Why the Wichita school board felt compelled to remove them from a bulletin board speaks to the irrational fear some hold toward Islam. For Christians, our prime directive is “to love as Jesus loved.” – to respect every human being, come to know those who are different, respond to any in need, and care enough to suffer with those who suffer.

To purposefully seek to insult and injure the faithful of another religion is to again crucify our Lord on a cross of fear and hatred. The Florida pastor’s threat was self-serving bravado for his own hubris. He is despicable.
Hopefully, right-hearted Christians can equally reject his cruelty and reach out to all others, including Muslims. Then perhaps again we Christians would be acknowledged as those “who love better than anyone.”
 
Father Bob Layne is a retired Episcopal priest living in McPherson, supplying on Sundays in parishes with no resident clergy. I still love to talk about Jesus. Email: fatherbob33@cox.net.