Burning Books

Pedro Berruguete, 15th century

It was a full 100 years before the Nazis came to power in Germany that the German author Heinrich Heine wrote the words, "Where they have burned books, they will end in burning human beings."  Sadly, these words would be prophetic with the Nazi reign of terror that began with book burnings and culminated in the flames of the Holocaust.

Burning books is nothing new.  The Church has done it before.  This painting by Berruguete recalls an earlier time in the life of the Church (13th century)when, in an attempt to combat heresy, the Church burned books associated with the Cathar movement.  Soon after, they stopped burning Cathar books and moved on to burning the Cathars themselves at the stake.

Historically, books haven't been burned simply because they were found to be disagreeable (exceptions exist of course).  They were burned because of fear.  Fear that the ideals and theology put forward in these books would somehow undermine the power of the group doing the burning.  So, logically, the next step after burning books was to go after the source of the ideals and theology found in those books, which of course, led to people.  Real, live, human beings.  And that's where Heine is right.  Burning books ultimately leads to burning bodies.

The Quran burning event, led by Pastor Terry Jones and the Dove World Outreach Center in Gainsville, Florida, that has now been, we're told, "postponed", is repugnant.  To have it associated in any way with Jesus Christ and those of us who claim to be His followers simply sickens me. The Jesus I know is about grace and love and mercy.  He speaks the Truth, but He does so around tables, breaking bread with those considered to be outcasts, teaching all who have ears to hear to love their neighbors as well as their enemies.

The sole thing that Pastor Jones has said that I agree with is this: "this event is neither an act of love nor an act of hate".  He's right.  At its core, it is an act of fear.  And as the Church of Jesus Christ we are called by Him to be about acts of love in this world.  To reveal God's mercy, grace and glory through acts of radical love. 

Any act that does not meet that standard is no act of the true Church of Jesus Christ.