My Honda - Shawanda - is sick. She's been with my mechanic for a week and a half now. In lieu of renting a car only to have it parked at work for seven hours, I've been riding the Metro on weekdays. Thankfully, my daughter has long been Metro savvy. It was just a matter of Mom getting reacquainted. I feel simpler and, truth be told, my soul welcomes the change in pace...like I've spent some time spring cleaning.

Though my daily work commutes are now an hour and 20 minutes each way, as opposed to a usual 15-minutes-per-way hike, it's been neat. Suddenly, I have a tender, reflective time to spend writing or whispering things to God, going over devotionals (like, for real and not like I'm competing in some triathlon) and swimming in a page-turner.

Khaled Housseni's A Thousand Splendid Suns has been a cozy companion these last few days. I've been captivated by Miriam and Laila, two Afghan heroines. These unlikely sisters trample the thick chauvinism that suffocate their lives. After reading this book, you'd have to be a monster to not fall in love with the complicated and believable women: the sass-mouth Hasina, gone-too-soon Giti, haunted Nana, fiery Fariba, wise-beyond-her-years Aziza and-certainly-compliant Miriam and spunky Laila. You'd have to be dull to not get roused by how all of these women are kept down by mores, husbands, fathers, the Taliban and withered dreams.

And you'd have to be heartless not to grow a soft spot for Afghanistan.

It's for this reason that I'm particularly saddened by Gainesville pastor, Terry Jones, of Dove World Outreach Center who recently burned a Koran, thereby, inciting violence and uproar in the mid-East. Jones is no stranger to controversy. I've written before about his recklessness in seeking to burn Korans last year on 9-11, or the anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

He didn't go through with the original "Burn-a-Koran" Day then but, unexpectedly, on March 20, 2011 Jones carried out a so-called "International Judge the Koran Day" in which he acted as a judge during a mock trial for six hours. The Koran was charged with various crimes such as inciting murder, rape or terrorist activities. In the end, the Koran was found guilty and sentenced to execution by burning. The burning, in turn, lit the Middle East on fire.

Since that day, thousands of people-of all religions-have reacted. Protests and violence has erupted in Iran, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. But, for some reason, Afghanistan has hurt the most. Some 23 people are now dead as a result of riots stemming from Jones' Koran burning. Last Friday, April 1^st, eight United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) employees were reportedly beheaded in Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan.

For this reason, I'd like to write an open letter to Terry Jones on behalf of NEWD Magazine:

Dear Mr. Jones,

We, at NEWD Magazine, condemn your decision to burn the Koran on your "International Burn-a-Koran Day," which was neither a holy(i)day nor a celebration.

Mr. Jones, your hypocrisy is making the world hurt. You charged the Koran with crimes such as inciting murder and terrorism, while you refuse to take responsibility for doing the same in Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Your antics have caused widespread riots, innocent killings.

Would Christ approve of your approach? We hardly think so. His teachings instruct us to "love our neighbors as ourselves." (Matthew 22:39) You showed bigotry, rage and, above all, cruel disrespect toward the Muslim community on March 20^th. You lacked fruit of the spirit. To be sure, our creative, all-powerful God doesn't need your antics. He is God-and Judge-all by Himself.

We hope that our Savior works on your heart and that you grow penitent. Fortunately, we follow a Master who can forgive us for even the most hateful of crimes. We will be praying for you and your parishioners, that this would be the last time you pull a misguided stunt...that you would see our Muslim neighbors as valuable and loveable, even as Christ-followers attempt to reach out to them. Finally, we pray that you will consider apologizing to our troops whose jobs are now harder because of heightened security concerns as well as to the families of the slain as a result of the mayhem that your Koran burning, no doubt, sparked.

In Christ,

NEWD Magazine

Ana Guthrie is a super cool chick with a heart for God and love for youth culture. She doubles as a not-so-naughty librarian and instructor at Florida Memorial University in Miami, Florida.