Among all the responses to the planned (but now canceled) burning copies of the Quran on Saturday by a church in Florida, the Massachusetts Bible Society has the best one I've seen. Mass Bible noted that:
As people of the Book, we are joined to Islam and Judaism in a special way and as an organization that has sought to put that Book into people's hands for 201 years, we cannot stand idly by while the sacred text of a sister religion is burned as our beloved Bibles once were.
So, they planned to give away two copies of the Quran for every one burned; distributing them to prisons, hospitals, shelters, or any place where there are Muslims without access to their sacred text.
While the Quran will no longer be burned, it seems to me that this response followed in the steps of Jesus, showing love and respect where others were showing hatred. It is a strong witness for what Christians should be showing to our neighbors.
Duane Shank is senior policy adviser at Sojourners
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