On this special day when we hope for a focus on the cross and the Christ who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our sins, a small-time "preacher" from Gainesville, Florida finds the spotlight as he protests again, this time in front of a Dearborn, Michigan mosque. Terry Jones, and a small contingent of sidekicks from Dove World Outreach Center, will manage to get the spotlight of the world. He claimed yesterday, when asked about it happening on Good Friday, that he didn't even
KNOW it was Good Friday or that Sunday is Easter!
Such is our media world today, along with men like this, who under a guise of preaching the gospel, have a message of discord and hate. I have seen it over and again in some fifty-plus years of ministry. I always wonder when men like this come along if they ever ask the question. "What Would Jesus Do?". Jones has a book to sell and T-shirts, and whatever. He also carries a gun, but doesn't know where the safety is. It discharged in his car yesterday.
On this day 2000 and a few more years ago, our Lord hung on a cross as He was crucified by "religious folks" and Roman soldiers. His response to it all was, "Father, forgive them. They don't know what they are doing.". I am trying to pray that for Terry Jones, but it is hard. He knows what he is doing. The work of outreach to Muslims and other non-Christian groups with the gospel takes a hard hit from such actions as those happening today at Dearborn.
