Let’s just keep turning down the heat.

We often hear that Islam is steeped in war, and that the Koran counsels ongoing warlike attitudes and continual war upon the infidels (non-Muslims). There is truth in these claims. In the seventh century, Islam was established in Arabia by military conquest. And, in this respect, it is much more like Judaism than Christianity.

Most of us have a highly sanitized, Sunday School view of Moses, but if we read thoughtfully we will see that, as well as being a prophet and the receiver of the law, he was a fearsome military leader. The Bible is quite clear (Exodus through Joshua) that Israel was established in Canaan by military conquest. So the warrior-prophet, Mohamed, is much more comparable to Moses than to Jesus, who never conducted or counseled violence of any kind.

Jews, however, have managed to foster those peaceful elements of their faith, and to limit the more warlike elements, to the point that most people today, with the possible exception of those who are presently at war with Israel, would recognize Judaism as a religion of peace. And most Moslems today are trying to do the same thing with Islam. They are fostering a spiritual understanding of jihad, and Christians should be encouraging them in this effort, rather than inciting fear every time the word appears. Words like "jihad", because of their history of bloodshed and violence, are admittedly problematic, but no more so than the word "crusade", which, though it never appears in the Bible, has posed a problem for Christians in much the same way.

Words are fascinating, but so problematic that sometimes I wish we could all just hum for a while. "Islam", for example, means "submission" and most Muslims interpret this as something they themselves must do before God, but some people suggest it should be understood as something they intend to inflict upon others. It, no doubt, has a terrible history, but it isn't inevitably defined by its history. I wonder what the verb "convert" meant for those who, during the Crusades, were forced to submit to Jesus at sword point. Surely Islam must be allowed to grow and evolve over the centuries in the same way Christianity and Judaism have.

Of course it's right and prudent to be concerned about militant anything, including Islam. But we must be very careful to not stir up fear in people. John tells us, "There is no fear in love…" 1 John 4:18, so it’s fear that makes love so difficult for us. And we all see what fear can do, whether promoted by Jews and Muslims in the Middle East, or Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland, or the fine, upstanding Christians in the Ku Klux Klan.

My little contribution to this pacifying effort is simply to encourage people to refuse to send emails around that may have the effect of stirring up fear. "…perfect love drives out fear…" 1 John 4:18 And I’m sure we can do this in spite of our fear, with God’s help of course. For, as our Muslim friends so often remind us, GOD IS GREAT.