So, this may be completely unrelated to my pregnancy with Celie, but I have to get these thoughts out of my head.
Osama bin Laden is dead.
When I first heard the news, my mind began to race. What does this mean...for my family...for my country...for the world? Then the response from the masses. Many celebrated. Some joked. A few were publicly saddened (many of those people encountered some backlash for feeling that way).
I kept reading and re-reading the posts. Were these posts from my friends? Are people genuinely excited that a man is dead? I had this sinking feeling of, "I think we've got this all wrong..." or maybe just a feeling that we were made for more than that.
To me, it seems impossible to sum up how I feel about the death of a man in 140 characters or less. I mean, don't you find that strange? You post a status quickly and, in the amount of time it took you to decide what you wanted to say, you forget about it. Only one person has posted something about his death since Monday afternoon. I know some people must regret what they said. In fact, several people deleted what they posted the night before.
I'm not saying I have the answers here. I'm only left with questions. Does God want us to feel like that was justice? Is it right to celebrate or rejoice in the death of a person, no matter what life they decided to live? Do the actions of a person determine how or if we are supposed to love them? What will DJ & I teach Penelope and Celie about justice and love and mercy?
I hope that you are still wrestling with this like me.
i am having a terrible time dealing with this issue, Amanda. i didn't have any form of internet or cable when it happened because we were in the middle of moving, but when i sat down on monday and read through all of the posts on social media, i just sat and wept. i still can't put into words my emotions on the matter. i just can't figure out what it is i want to say. i can say with 100% sincerity though that for one of the only times i can remember, i am not proud to be an American. i am appalled by the way people have reacted. and i was confused, thinking am i missing something? should i be excited about this? my heart was breaking, but for such an evil man? and then there was fear. of the effects this event is going to have on our soldiers who are there. and that's really the only point that i understand. is that this could be detrimental, while America stands back and rejoices and thinks that it's all just magically going to go away. but yeah, i'm totally with you. still wrestling, tremendously.
ReplyDeleteEvery way I try thinking about it includes a duality of some sort. Spirit and flesh, thought and action, etc. Those can be considered holy and from God. Osama had two natures in the case of his death; he was a human in God's image and the powerful force of terrorism. One is holy, one isn't. I do rejoice his removal from (Satan's) power and the vengeance the Lord has claimed over my enemies, but his death I do not. There are lots of ways lots of things can perish, some of which the Bible does not clarify. Its about separating Satan's work and evil ideologies from God's creation and perfect will. I pray his soul should see the Glory of the Lord when the He comes again.
ReplyDelete