Should we be comparing Islam and Christianity, the Bible and the Quran?

The other week, I was talking with a friend of mine who is pastor of an evangelical congregation in Texas.

He was asking for my input on a multi-week series comparing different “world religions” with Christianity at his church.

Numerous, well-meaning pastors, lay leaders, and teachers like my friend have led such comparative studies in their own communities as a means to help Christians navigate contemporary religious pluralism. I even led a few of my own in my early days. While most of the leaders of these studies start with the intention to help their parishioners learn more about the world's religions, the way they go about it usually leads to nominally increased religious literacy. Even worse, these studies can exacerbate pre-existing prejudices or presuppositions about the religions they set out to better understand.

Which raises the question of whether there is any promise to comparing things like Christianity and Islam, the Quran and the Bible at all. The problem, I suggest, might lie in the very act of comparison itself.

What makes a church beautiful?

Is it slick worship slides? Well-dressed families? Stunning stained glass? Perfect pews? High-quality music? Good looking and well-respected members of the community?

What if your church uses old hymnals? What if the families are broken? What if the walls are sullied and the seating busted? What if the organ is out of tune or the soprano squeaky? What if your people are less than perfect and their lives a bit messed up? What if you don’t like your church?

The church isn’t beautiful because of its position in society or its pretty facilities, families or frills. The church is beautiful because of what God is doing in, through and with it.