Yesterday I posted a letter to Franklin Graham.

Today I want to offer a suggestion to Evangelical pastors and churchgoers around the world about a positive way to respond to his and similar statements that intensify distrust, fear, scapegoating, stereotyping, and misunderstanding between people of different faiths.
In the spirit of Romans 12:9-21, I would like to suggest that you find a local mosque or Muslim community center and schedule a visit. At that visit, you could say something like this:

“As you may know, Franklin Graham, a well-known Evangelical Christian leader, recently made some statements about Muslims that were highly offensive and hurtful. Mr. Graham has done many wonderful things to help poor and needy people around the world, building on the legacy of his father, Billy Graham. But I found these statements to so deeply offensive, misguided, and mean-spirited that I couldn’t remain silent. I decided that I would come and apologize to you and your community on behalf of Christians who say things like this. And I want to express my sincere desire to get to know you, to be of help in any ways I can to you and your community, so we can model the kind of love and respect among neighbors that we both believe pleases God.”

Then you could set up a lunch or other gathering. Get to know one another as friends, neighbors, fellow leaders and people of faith. Build a real relationship.
People like my friend Jeff Burns and many others are helping Evangelicals find a better way to relate to their Muslim neighbors. I recount my experience in this regard in my book Why Did Jesus, Moses, the Buddha, and Mohammed Cross the Road?
Wouldn’t it be great if we took something negative and reversed it into something even more positive?