I caught this in the SacBee on September 10, 2010: "Sacramento Interfaith Leaders Plan 9/11 'Blessing of Peace' on Quran." I'm going to post the whole article at the end of this post, just in case it gets taken off the SacBee website, but I do want you to read it.
After you've read the article, here's your homework: The article mentions that in addition to reading from the Quran, several passages from the Old and New Testaments will be read (or were read, since this happened yesterday). From the NT a verse from Matthew 5, and from the OT a verse from Isaiah 2. Come on - do I even need to TELL you what I want you to do? Okay - I haven't blogged for a while, so you have forgotten how this works. :-) Look up those passages (and their contexts), and tell me what's wrong with using them for this purpose (other than the obvious "blessing the Quran" thing!).
Here, I'll make it easier for you: Matthew 5:9 and Isaiah 2:4.
Here's the article:
More than 50 members of Sacramento's interfaith community - including Christians, Jews, Sikhs, Quakers, Muslims and Druids - will meet at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament on Saturday, the ninth anniversary of 9/11, for a "blessing of peace on the Quran."
The 7 p.m. event, on the steps of the cathedral at 11th and K streets, is designed to blunt the threats of Florida Pastor Terry Jones to burn the Quran.
Jones' associates said today that no Qurans will be burned, but organizers of Saturday's event "wanted to send an alternative vision from America - placing roses on the Quran as a symbol of peace and tolerance. The World Peace Garden in Capitol Park has agreed to supply us with three dozen roses," said the Rev. David Thompson, president of the Interfaith Service Bureau.
"Afterwards the roses will be given to Muslim families," Thompson said. "Whether or not the Florida pastor goes through with his scheme to burn copies of the Quran, we in Sacramento are hopeful of bringing cooperation and peace here as we try to undo the damage already done, to protect our troops and to affirm our Muslim brothers and sisters here in America and around the world."
Non-Muslims will give seven readings from the Quran.
"The passages are chosen to show there are peaceful, wonderful passages from the Quran," Thompson said.
Each reader will then place a rose on the Quran.
There will also be reading from Hebrew and Christian scriptures - "correctives from the faiths Terry Jones is supposed to be representing," Thompson said.
Father Michael Kiernan of the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament will read from Matthew 5: "Blessed are the peacemakers. They shall be called sons and daughters of God."
The Hebrew scripture, from the second chapter of the prophet Isaiah, declares, "God will wield authority over the nations and adjudicate between many people; these will hammer their swords into ploughshares, their spears into sickles. Nation will not lift sword against nation, there will be no more training for war."
The seven blessings from the Quran each carry the message, "Let there be peace on Earth and let it begin with me," Thompson said. "Everyone in Sacramento who cares about this issue and wants peace and to show kindness to Muslims is encouraged to bring the gift of a rose and place it on the Quran. Let there be peace on Earth and let it begin with us."
Don't let your brains get rusty, ladies..."Renew your mind..."
