i don't think i can join the celebration

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I'm trying to follow Jesus as best as I understand him and as his Holy Spirit enables me. So when I read the Sermon on the Mount, I learn that I'm supposed to love my enemies and pray for those who persecute me.
Matthew 5:38 "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' 39 But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41 And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42 Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.
43 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

This is not an easy teaching. But that doesn't mean I shouldn't mourn when my enemy, who is God's enemy, is assassinated. I'm glad this criminal, Osama bin Laden, can't hurt anyone else anymore. He was a mass murderer. But he was killed like a pig, not as someone bearing the image of God, no matter how deformed.

It also saddens me that the means used to obtain the information necessary to find him, came from those incarcerated at Gitmo which implies torture, another insult against the image of God. But what saddens me more is that those who endorsed the torture now can see the end to prove the means.

Of course, I oppose the death penalty. But I'm not opposed to justice. Nor am I a pacifist. I will defend others with deadly force if such a situation arose. But he was surrounded by a bunch of soldiers in body armor and deadly weapons. I don't think there was much intention to extract him alive and bring him to trial.

It all saddens me.

Provebs 24:17 Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles, 18 lest the LORD see it and be displeased, and turn away his anger from him. 19 Fret not yourself because of evildoers, and be not envious of the wicked, 20 for the evil man has no future; the lamp of the wicked will be put out.

Comments

Karla said…
I love this blog post!
May 06, 2011
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