A Saint Louis Christians Response to violence against the Global Church.

By Tremaine Combs Last year, the world was in an uproar against the threat of the pastor of a very small congregation in the American South to burn the Quran. The uproar was swift, pointed, and justifiable. It would have been foolish to burn the sacred writings of ANY group, and just plain stupid to burn the Quran. It was stupid to threaten to burn the Quran in such a time in our country when we are at war in two traditionally Islamic countries, and some Americans are so blinded by the fear of the bomb carrying Arab (akin to the fear of Europeans against the faceless Turk in earlier centuries) that many felt and still feel that the fact that the current president's middle name is Hussein is a matter of national security and the stroking of latent crusader tendencies. As I said, the public and international backlash was justifiable and appropriate. And in many circles the loudest voices were those of Christian clergy comprising both progressive and conservative stripes. Both groups sang the symphony of Love for all humanity and the respect for the religious choices of others as they expressed shear disdain in the idea that one who would proclaim to follow the Messiah of Love would stoop to burn a holy book to make a political point. American Christian ministers of all strips decried painting the Islamic world in one broad stroke. American Christian pastors, preachers, evangelists and the like cautioned us to not see every Muslim as an Islamic Extremist and called for us to recognize that most Muslims understood the common bond between our two faiths and we must not fall victim to the crusader mentality of days gone by, when good Christians forgot the message of love that stands at the heart of our faith and thought that by killing the Infidel Saracen or the murderous Turk, they were keeping the world safe for Christendom. Facebook groups were formed, forums were held and the American Christian clergy were the loudest. And I agree with what they shouted. I still do. But one thing puzzles me. What puzzles me was not the loud uproar from Christian clergy about burning a book that many, if not most of our congregations have not read. I get that. What was and is puzzling is the deafening silence of many progressive and conservative Christian pastors, preachers, evangelists, prophets, and teachers to the growing violence against people in the world (often times perpetuated by Islamic extremists, but not always) who believe in the same Lord that they do! The violence that has been happening against Christians in the global community is not new. Just last summer two Christians were imprisoned and killed in Pakistan, and in the months and years before that several Christian women were raped in Sudan for the crime of (not burning a sacred book) confessing Christ. There is the Coptic Orthodox Priest Fr. Zakaria Botros who has a bounty on his head (25 million) for the crime of witnessing to Muslims in Egypt. Or how about the Russian Orthodox Priest Fr. Daniil Sysoyev, who was gunned down in 2009 for witnessing to all groups to the truth of Christ, including Muslims. How about the gross human rights violations against Coptic Christians by the Egyptian government. Or how about since October 31st of 2010, a total of 153 Christians have been reportedly killed or wounded in attacks orchestrated by Islamic Extremists. When it was the threatened burning of a sacred book, the President called, but

when it is 153 human lives, a diplomatic underling states that the US is "worried". In the realm of politics I get that, But there is a dead silence from American Clergy. I haven't been invited to join a single Facebook group. I haven't read a single editorial. I haven't seen a single Facebook status. And, for what its worth, I am ashamed. I wonder have they forgotten that the confession of Christ ties us to one another in a way that is deeper than family blood? They cannot have forgotten that! The love that is the heart of our faith would not bear it. Now don't talk to me about context. I don't care that in the United States the Church must deal with different issues. I understand all of that, but right is right. When will we stop being silent about the murder of our own brothers and sisters; brothers and sisters not by blood, but by Blood because they confess the same Lord, the same Faith, and the same Baptism? When will we stop seeing ourselves as simply local congregations or denominations and recognize the truth that we are a part of a global body and each member of that global body is our responsibility? How long will the blood of the saints in other lands be spilled for the sin of our own complacent foot shuffling? When will interfaith dialogue and discussion hold a prophetic call to end the suffering of OUR brothers and sisters caused by people in other faith traditions (instead of being meetings where we leave our confession at the door to make others feel at home in the air of false hospitality)? I don't know the answer to any of these questions. But I do know that I can be silent no longer. I hope that my fellow Christians who happen to be American cannot be either.

Tremaine Combs is the Pastor of the Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church of St. Charles, MO