Nigel Powers: [to Goldmember] There are only two things I can’t stand in this world. People who are intolerant of other people’s cultures… and the Dutch.

A short while ago, a Danish Newspaper published a cartoon depiction of the Prophet Mohammed with a turban shaped like a bomb on his head, fuse lit. Protests erupted in every corner of the Muslim world, and boycotts against Scandinavian goods went into full swing. I heard a story on NPR this morning about a Danish Cheese company, who had spent 20+ years developing a $430,000,000.00 a year business dealing Danish products to the middle east has seen their entire operation grind to a halt in about five days.

A few minutes spent scanning the internet will find you many stories journaling the protests rising from the streets of Muslim nations, and echoing in the halls of international power. This is kind of a big story.

The Muslim world is reacting with great passion because it’s considered blasphemy to even depict the Prophet visually, much less with an explosive on his head. They’re passionate about protecting the image of their leader from sarcastic pagans who most likely have little actual perspective about their beliefs, and they’re willing to put 11,000 Danes out of work to do it. Of course, I’d wager that somewhere between 10,997 and 11,000 of those about to be unemployed don’t have side careers in political cartoon satire, but sometimes you gotta crack some eggs to make an omelet… or something like that.

I started thinking about how, while growing up, I fiercely resented it when people would mock Jesus. When I would see the Darwin Fish, or a flippant cartoon, or a bizarre or mischaracterized portrayal, it would get me all hot and bothered.

Christianity is on the business end of a lot of mockery in this world, and you know what? I don’t really care anymore. I don’t care because I have decided that the only real way to impact the way the world feels about Jesus is to simply love more and be pissed less. I don’t care becuase all my justified anger and well argued statements over the years haven’t done a thing for the Kingdom. My guess is that the only meaningful conversation I could have would be, of course, in the context of a friendship, expressing the emotional pain that I physically feel when someone who doesn’t really understand Christ mocks Him, whether it be a comedian going for a cheap laugh, or an Evangelical Church leader who’s apparently forgetten their first love.

Don’t get me wrong… I still struggle when images are presented, or words are spoken, or stories are told that are told that get it wrong, but I just don’t think that Christ needs me to go out and kick ass in His name. I think I wanted to kick ass in my name, ’cause kickin’ ass feels good!

I cannot help but wonder if the Muslim world needs to adjust to the idea that their faith is going to be mocked. It’s going to be mocked by the informed and uninformed, the infidel and the faithful. All religious faith will, from time to time, be mocked in many media and method until the day (I believe) Jesus will return to set any and all records straight.

I cannot help but wonder if the best thing we could do, as people of faith, would be to chill the hell out with our rhetoric and protests, and be examples of restraint, intelligence, and grace as we defend our Leaders.

I feel strange making a plea of this nature to people with whom I don’t share core beliefs, but here it is anyways: let God decide who’s right. Let God decide who’s walking in the council of the wicked, or standing with sinners, or sitting with mockers. You honor Mohammed by shaming the pagans with your restraint and righteousness, and I’ll honor Jesus with grace and kindness, and we’ll both better off.

God will judge, for God sees.

P.S. I realize that there is a difference between the Dutch and the Danes, but the quote was just too good to overlook, and far be it from me to edit or change brilliant comedy.