A God who will be mocked

In February and March of this year, there were two major headlines dealing with the religion of Islam around the world. First, a series of political cartoons depicting the prophet Muhammad with associations to terrorism led to widespread rioting across several nations and led to a death mark being placed on the cartoonists. Second, a Muslim man in Afghanistan publicly converted to Christianity and subsequently underwent loud, public persecution (including many clerics calling for his death) before he was finally freed, anonymously for his own protection.

I don't intend to delve too much into the politics or the ethical issue of free speech in this post. As a quick aside, that issue seems to boil down to this question - if you are abiding by the Golden Rule ("do to others what you would have them do to you") but the other is not, Jesus teaches his followers to "turn the other cheek" and not retaliate - but is the world obligated to? I.e., in the worldwide conversation, is it right or just for Western media to tiptoe around even broad characterizations of the nation of Islam that might be negative, when their media is not pulling any punches insulting the West?

Rather, there were a few quotes in the news articles covering these events, particularly the Afghan Christian, that drew my attention:

Said Mirhossian Nasri, the top cleric at Hossainia Mosque, one of the largest Shiite places of worship in Kabul, said Rahman must not be allowed to leave the country. "If he is allowed to live in the West then others will claim to be Christian so they can too," he said. "We must set an example. ... He must be hanged."

The clerics said they were angry with the United States and other countries for pushing for Rahman's freedom. "We are a small country and we welcome the help the outside world is giving us, but please don't interfere in this issue," Nasri said. "We are Muslims and these are our beliefs. This is much more important to us than all the aid the world has given us."

"Rejecting Islam is insulting God. We will not allow God to be humiliated. This man must die," said cleric Abdul Raoulf, who is considered a moderate.

In essence, this is one central difference between Islam and Christianity. Allah and the prophet Muhammad must not be insulted or humiliated, and they call their followers to punish severely those who would do so. Jesus laid down his divinity in order to be insulted, humiliated, and to die on the cross for the sins of man, to make a way to God - and he calls his followers to live a life of obedience that would result in similar insult and persecution for them. As John Piper put it (worth reading the whole article!), "If Christ had not been insulted, there would be no salvation. This was his saving work: to be insulted and die to rescue sinners from the wrath of God.... For Christ, enduring the mockery of the cross was the essence of his mission. And for a true follower of Christ enduring suffering patiently for the glory of Christ is the essence of obedience."

Lately, I've been reading through the Book of Philippians for my devotional times with God, and re-encountered these verses (3:10-11):

"I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead."

It's a daunting thing to desire the fellowship of sharing in Jesus' sufferings in my life. But I think I'm going to have to try.