Burn, burn, burn

On a golf course in southern Britain a few days ago, early morning golfers discovered a body burnt and tossed away in the bushes. So bad was the burning that it took forensics to determine the gender of this discarded humanity, but now a few days later we get to know this man and his story. Overtaken by life he takes to drugs, lives on the streets, finds a home and friends in a hostel. "A quiet man" say his friends - but someone needed to set fire to that life ... was it out of fear or anger? Why?

Several hundred years earlier three more men were set alight. Not secretly at night but in front of crowds, jearing or silent. A cross of stones still marks that spot in the centre of my city where three bishops (Ridley, Latimer and Cranmer) burnt like candles. They, and many hundreds of others, were burnt by Christians, in the name of Christ, for the sake of truth. Was truth strengthened? Did Christ's kingdom grow out of those ashes?

Now a different fire is proposed. Pastor Terry Jones of Dove World Outreach Centre in Florida has announced that his church will mark September 11 this year as "International Burn a Quran Day". How many lives will that cost? Not in Florida of course, but all around the world such an act is designed to enrage Muslim communities who will have ended their most sacred season of Ramadan just two days earlier. Why are we so fearful of each other? Why do we think that burning things - people and books - is going to solve anything?

I had an email tonight from a senior world Christian leader saying he and others are seeking to meet Pastor Jones and persuade him that there is a more Christ-like way to respond to our Mislim neighbours. Join me in praying that their efforts to meet and talk with be effective. We must stop burning everything!