New blog/Osama bin Laden

Ok, so I kind of addressed the reason for this blog in my description or whatever, but I just wanted to have an actual place to write about stuff that I have going on or just see in the world. I have realized how nice it was on a less significant level with my sports blog to be able to just write my thoughts out, that I figured I would do the same with my general life stuff. Mostly this will probably end up being my theological thought process where I kind of just think out loud and am open to thoughts from the readers as to how you guys see things as well. It wont be limited to just theological topics, but anything I write about, I will obviously have that Christian viewpoint present and it will most surely not be hidden. I will approach things as best I can through Christian light  and analyze it through Christian standards. I hope you catch my drift, if not, just keep reading and you will see maybe after a couple posts what this will be like.

I want to start off by looking at the recent world events. More specifically the death of Osama bin Laden. I have mixed emotions on this issue. My initial reaction was simply "wow." I have to admit, part of me was relieved, possibly even a sense of happiness. However, as I processed this, I realized that I did also feel sadness. This feeling of sadness was furthered as I got online and watched television and saw the reactions of many Americans as being jubilant at the least. This, in my opinion, was a little disturbing. I feel that the happiness or relief was not properly placed and poorly directed. We can take happiness and comfort in that a very dangerous man who was intent on causing pain and death has been removed from doing so. However, its seems that most people are not just happy about that. They seem to be genuinely joyous that the man has died. That he has beathed his last breath and even I have seen people that have expressed the pleasure they have knowing where he will be spending eternity. This does not sit well with me, especially as I see so many people who call themselves Christians with such sentiments.

I would encourage these people to re-read their Bible and listen to what Jesus actually teaches us about how we are to live our lives. Here is what is said in Matthew...

⁴³ “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵ that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. ⁴⁶ If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? ⁴⁷ And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? ⁴⁸ Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.


This is Matthew 5:43-48. We see here that we are being taught to not only love those who love us, because even the pagans and non-believers do that. In order to truly show the light of Christ and follow Him rightly, we are to love our enemies as well. Show them compassion. Is this not what Jesus himself did? He showed love for the people who despised and spoke down to him. It doesn't stop there though. We are not only to love our enemies and show them compassion, but we are called to PRAY for them! How radical a calling this is. This is what sets us apart and what makes us distinctly the children of God. In doing things that are not natural for humans to do, that are actually Godly, is what sets us on the true path of discipleship.

Long story short, I don't feel that the angels in Heaven are rejoicing at the death of a soul that has been damned to spend eternity in Hell. Despite Osama's sins, and they are great in the eyes of man yet equal in the eyes of God, it is not something that we should be joyful that he was not able to be reunited with his creator and is now condemned to spend eternity apart from our father. I can not find any happiness in this and although I hate the acts he committed, I feel we should try our best to not hate the man himself and should still continue to pray for him now. Maybe I am off-base here, but this is how I feel we are called as Christians to be treating this situation.