I'll never forget where I was when the Towers feel on September 11th. I was finishing my apple fritter at Daylight Donuts where I went to read in the mornings during college. We stood there and gasped as we watched the second plane fly into the second tower. We cried as the towers fell.
Osama Bin Laden was the mastermind behind one of the most despicable, disgusting, hateful, evil acts to have been perpetrated in my lifetime.
Now he's dead.
I have to admit feeling equal parts ecstatic and sick to my stomach.
The ecstatic part seems to have been the prevalent mood on Facebook and Twitter. I get that. Justice has been served against a terribly evil man. I am grateful for our military and our leaders who have the responsibility to serve justice on God's behalf.
However, Proverbs 24:17 is also at the front of my mind. "Do not rejoice when your enemy falls." So is Ezekiel 33:11, "As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their wicked ways and live."
In this case, it's especially poignant for me. I've prayed for Osama Bin Laden for almost 10 years. I prayed that he would trust Christ, 'Isa, his Messiah who died a death sufficient to forgive even His evil. I prayed that he would believe and repent.
Today he believes, but it's too late.
I'm certainly glad Osama can do no more evil on the earth, but I can't celebrate his death.
If you believe in true justice; if you believe in a God who is as perfect in His justice and wrath as He is perfect in His love; the entrance of anyone into a Christ-less eternity is hardly something to celebrate. It should grieve our hearts, deepen our gratitude for the Cross on our own behalf, and renew our reflection on the perfect holiness, wrath, and justice of the God of grace and mercy.
Come quickly Lord Jesus.
6 comments:
On a day when we will encounter many perspectives fueled with human emotions, thank you for providing a Biblically-based perspective.
Thank you for shepherding us with His Word.
I have felt the same pain in my heart but wasn't sure why. Thanks for pointing me back to scripture.
Exactly.
Your comments go to the core of our belief in Jesus Christ who is our Lord and Savior. You speak the truth, however, as imperfect humans I believe that we have to be prepared in our hearts to forgive as our Lord commands. We must be genuine in our hearts to forgive, lest we be hypocritical in our words. When David killed Goliath, there was celebration. I believe you are correct, but as I write this I am not in that place yet. I know through God's love & perfectness I will be one day. God Bless America & the men and women who serve to protect us.
My thoughts exactly. I too am relieved he can no longer harm us, though, I dare say he has left many to follow in his footsteps. Yet my overwhelming emotion is one of sadness over a life so wasted and now forever lost...and sadness that so many are rejoicing over his death.
thanks for putting into words and backing it up with scripture.
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