Eye for an Eye

Dadgummit. Do people actually say that? I started off wanting to blog more, but really that just wasn't gonna happen on my phone. My lappy's screen completely blacked out sometime last summer or fall, and I've been without one since. Yes, I know there are easy and somewhat inexpensive solutions, but whatever. My hubby works from his all the time quite often, so blogging really became a back-burner thing, though I constantly had thoughts I so desperately needed to release.

What better time to do that than when the most breaking news of breaking news breaks?! If you've been locked up in a cave, you should just know that Bin Laden is now dead. The news broke last night in the middle of Celebrity Apprentice just as it was getting better. I still haven't watched the end of Apprentice, and I haven't Googled to see who got knocked off the show. Side note: act the crazy like NeNe, and someone like Trump is sure to pick you up for ratings. The woman is for real crazy. She may be some act, but the woman is for real. Fo' real CRAZY. Moving on...

...so upon the news, FB immediately went crazy with posts. At first it was just the informative "Bin Laden has been killed." Then it went to "We got him." A friend of mine even posted something like, "...now that he's been officially 86'd..." I can't say I didn't spit out my food laughing chuckle.

But then the posts and comments turned into "Rot in hell."

That grieved me.

Don't get me wrong, people. I believe in justice. But what does that mean anyway? Who am I to say what justice is? Isn't it God who metes that out in His time and in His ways?

I believe in the death penalty. I believe in our military (yes, even in post-WWII times when we are more imperialistic than ever and feel that we use our troops to illegally occupy other countries). I believe in consequences.

I hope that this brings about some kind of comfort for those who have been searching for comfort and closure.

HOWEVER...

I don't believe in rejoicing over someone's soul eternally damned to hell. I don't know for sure Bin Laden's spiritual state...where he stood with my God. But somehow I'm not thinking He was headed where I am. (and I refuse to get involved in the latest drama about heaven and hell that Rob Bell started. I haven't read the book, but if he's just trying to be user-friendly, whatever. I'm not getting into endless, dumb debates.) And the fact that someone else is forever in hell and separated from God...well, it shouldn't bring me to rejoice. I don't think God rejoices over that.

Again, I don't want to get started on debates about predestination and people meant to go here or there. I'm just saddened, grieved by any of us rejoicing over something that is deeper and more serious than "we got him."

I know this guy has caused the death of thousands of people. I know he did evil, evil things. There is no excuse for that. He should be brought to justice. More than anyone, I've wanted the man brought to justice. And as much as my heart may sometimes feel "burn in hell" because of the indescribable pain that he may have caused, I'm nobody to say that he should. That's not my place. Vengeance is not mine.

This has been floating around and thought I'd share:
"I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that."
-Martin Luther King, Jr.