bin Laden has left the building

Wow, I didn’t expect to wake up to this news – did anyone?

I have had a lot of moments lately where my brain has seemed to shut down in order to try and deal with the rapid change going on around me, and this morning felt like that. I was in a daze that actually reminded me of that morning in 2001 when we sat watching television and tried to come to terms with the tragedy.

I really really wish that we had been able to capture this man. Dying in a firefight is, in my opinion, not the best way for this man to die. His followers can now see him go out in a blaze of glory, instead of standing trial and standing humiliated in front of the world before hanging by the neck. There is no doubt in my mind about the values of mercy, grace and forgiveness, but this man turned his back on the human race with the acts he perpetrated. He crossed the line 20 years ago where it would have been humanly impossible for anyone to extend these things to him, and God may have struggled with it as well, who knows. Punishment for his crimes against our people and the people of the world needed to be long, and I wanted him to feel it, intensely. I don’t think there is a prison or detention facility that would measure up to the standard that I imagined for this guy.

And I hate to admit it, but I would have petitioned the federal government to build a place of pain specifically for this man.

More on the thirst for revenge later.

My Afghani co-workers here are happy about the news. They know that there could be unrest in the city because of it, but for the most part, they seem to think that things will be quiet – mainly because security forces would punish any demonstrators. Several of the workers were appalled at the innocent lives take in 2001 and were glad to see the perpetrator brought down. One of the Filipino kitchen workers couldn’t understand my question when I asked him what he thought about the news. That was a common response. I had to be patient to get anything out of people here. When I asked what they thought when they heard the news, they misunderstand and tell me the whole story without editorializing. After I ask them again, they seemed to understand and several have stated that it is the first good news of 2011 (or 1390, if you are on the Afghan calendar.)

The Taliban and Osama didn’t really get along too well. They had sheltered him, but according to the workers here, Al Qaeda and the Taliban fought each other as much as they collaborated. My co-workers do not think this development will change the Taliban and the “Spring Offensive” in any way.

“Spring Offensive.” It’s such an oxymoron in my view. Yes, it is offensive, but it’s like saying, “Hey, for New Year’s this year, let’s not celebrate an enjoy each other’s company as much as shoot some people.”

READ BELOW THIS FOR A HEAPING HELPING OF ADAM’S OPINION. DISCLAIMER – IF YOU DON’T LIKE MY OPINION, DEAL WITH IT.

In any case something has been going through my mind and I’ve written privately about it, and in as much as I can speak to it, I’m going to. I was reading a review of a book, and the author used an example to describe wickedness in the human heart. He used the words of scripture, of Jesus himself, to remind us that if we have thought about doing things in our minds/hearts, then we are as guilty as if we’d done the acts themselves. Basically, having murderous thoughts makes you a murderer. Jesus said so.

I want justice, which in most cases is going to mean death for Osama. Sure, I can ask for forgiveness from God, but I’m not very excited about a life where I take exception to my religious beliefs when it’s convenient, knowing I can just make up with God later.

The reviewer went on to use an example of a bully who punches a smaller child. The bully has done wrong – that is obvious – but this author indicated that if the victim wishes the bully was dead, it was also the victim who’s done wrong. This, he theorized, is the nature of humanity’s deeply ingrained wickedness.

So when I hunger and thirst for revenge instead of righteousness, I’m condemned right? Even if I want justice, and I know that the justice of the state will mean death, what side of God am I coming down on? There are surely 1000 opinions about this issue, and I’m sure that there are Christians reading this that believe they know the opinion that is true, but let me tell you mine. Stop reading if you don’t care or if you’ll feel compelled to write me an essay in response – I’m not interested – write your own blog.

When Jesus laid down the law about “sinning in your heart,” an audience analysis is very important. The people he was trying to convict were the people who had been thinking that they were perfect. Much like today, there were people that thought that since they didn’t murder people, they weren’t so bad. In fact, they were better than everyone else because of their observance of the law. Jesus calls them to task and lets them know that their thoughts and emotions are as powerful as their actions. You know these people – they think they are better than everyone else because they do the “right” things. Jesus has news for those people – they are all the same as the “little” people that they look down on every day. Their passion for external perfection has blinded them to the darkness in their hearts.

Those of us that have come to terms with the darkness in our hearts know it’s there and know of the heartache and pain it can cause. Others know about it and revel in it and love the feeling of indulging themselves. To each their own. I’d rather be friends with people who know that they have a dark side and struggle out loud to keep it under control than to sit with anyone who claims that they don’t struggle at all. Jesus was strikingly similar. He couldn’t abide the behavior of the proud and spent most of his time with disciples that did more than struggle – they failed outright all the time.

So, with all that in mind, for anyone to infer that Jesus would approve of his words being used to convict the heart of a child with a broken nose – defenseless and filled with overwhelming shame, fear and pain – is ridiculous.

Jesus felt righteous anger and kicked people around using a whip. The God of the old testament confounds many people because the stories of how vengeful he was don’t seem to line up with the life we are told to live where even FEELING anger or vengeful thoughts is a sin that will send you to hell.

My opinion is simple. God created us in his own image. Jesus was a personification of God. We share some qualities with God, and I believe that feeling the need for revenge is one of them. If that little boy wants the bully dead, I believe we have a God who doesn’t agree, but UNDERSTANDS and in many cases, before we even think to reconcile with him, has come to terms with that anger.

So this morning as it was nearly ten years ago, I feel the anger, the need for revenge and the desire to inflict pain on another person. I believe that God sees a nation with vengeful thoughts and satisfaction over the death of another person and he understands. 

Wow, I didn’t expect to wake up to this news – did anyone?

I have had a lot of moments lately where my brain has seemed to shut down in order to try and deal with the rapid change going on around me, and this morning felt like that. I was in a daze that actually reminded me of that morning in 2001 when we sat watching television and tried to come to terms with the tragedy.

I really really wish that we had been able to capture this man. Dying in a firefight is, in my opinion, not the best way for this man to die. His followers can now see him go out in a blaze of glory, instead of standing trial and standing humiliated in front of the world before hanging by the neck. There is no doubt in my mind about the values of mercy, grace and forgiveness, but this man turned his back on the human race with the acts he perpetrated. He crossed the line 20 years ago where it would have been humanly impossible for anyone to extend these things to him, and God may have struggled with it as well, who knows. Punishment for his crimes against our people and the people of the world needed to be long, and I wanted him to feel it, intensely. I don’t think there is a prison or detention facility that would measure up to the standard that I imagined for this guy.

And I hate to admit it, but I would have petitioned the federal government to build a place of pain specifically for this man.

More on the thirst for revenge later.

My Afghani co-workers here are happy about the news. They know that there could be unrest in the city because of it, but for the most part, they seem to think that things will be quiet – mainly because security forces would punish any demonstrators. Several of the workers were appalled at the innocent lives take in 2001 and were glad to see the perpetrator brought down. One of the Filipino kitchen workers couldn’t understand my question when I asked him what he thought about the news. That was a common response. I had to be patient to get anything out of people here. When I asked what they thought when they heard the news, they misunderstand and tell me the whole story without editorializing. After I ask them again, they seemed to understand and several have stated that it is the first good news of 2011 (or 1390, if you are on the Afghan calendar.)

The Taliban and Osama didn’t really get along too well. They had sheltered him, but according to the workers here, Al Qaeda and the Taliban fought each other as much as they collaborated. My co-workers do not think this development will change the Taliban and the “Spring Offensive” in any way.

“Spring Offensive.” It’s such an oxymoron in my view. Yes, it is offensive, but it’s like saying, “Hey, for New Year’s this year, let’s not celebrate an enjoy each other’s company as much as shoot some people.”

READ BELOW THIS FOR A HEAPING HELPING OF ADAM’S OPINION. DISCLAIMER – IF YOU DON’T LIKE MY OPINION, DEAL WITH IT.

In any case something has been going through my mind and I’ve written privately about it, and in as much as I can speak to it, I’m going to. I was reading a review of a book, and the author used an example to describe wickedness in the human heart. He used the words of scripture, of Jesus himself, to remind us that if we have thought about doing things in our minds/hearts, then we are as guilty as if we’d done the acts themselves. Basically, having murderous thoughts makes you a murderer. Jesus said so.

I want justice, which in most cases is going to mean death for Osama. Sure, I can ask for forgiveness from God, but I’m not very excited about a life where I take exception to my religious beliefs when it’s convenient, knowing I can just make up with God later.

The reviewer went on to use an example of a bully who punches a smaller child. The bully has done wrong – that is obvious – but this author indicated that if the victim wishes the bully was dead, it was also the victim who’s done wrong. This, he theorized, is the nature of humanity’s deeply ingrained wickedness.

So when I hunger and thirst for revenge instead of righteousness, I’m condemned right? Even if I want justice, and I know that the justice of the state will mean death, what side of God am I coming down on? There are surely 1000 opinions about this issue, and I’m sure that there are Christians reading this that believe they know the opinion that is true, but let me tell you mine. Stop reading if you don’t care or if you’ll feel compelled to write me an essay in response – I’m not interested – write your own blog.

When Jesus laid down the law about “sinning in your heart,” an audience analysis is very important. The people he was trying to convict were the people who had been thinking that they were perfect. Much like today, there were people that thought that since they didn’t murder people, they weren’t so bad. In fact, they were better than everyone else because of their observance of the law. Jesus calls them to task and lets them know that their thoughts and emotions are as powerful as their actions. You know these people – they think they are better than everyone else because they do the “right” things. Jesus has news for those people – they are all the same as the “little” people that they look down on every day. Their passion for external perfection has blinded them to the darkness in their hearts.

Those of us that have come to terms with the darkness in our hearts know it’s there and know of the heartache and pain it can cause. Others know about it and revel in it and love the feeling of indulging themselves. To each their own. I’d rather be friends with people who know that they have a dark side and struggle out loud to keep it under control than to sit with anyone who claims that they don’t struggle at all. Jesus was strikingly similar. He couldn’t abide the behavior of the proud and spent most of his time with disciples that did more than struggle – they failed outright all the time.

So, with all that in mind, for anyone to infer that Jesus would approve of his words being used to convict the heart of a child with a broken nose – defenseless and filled with overwhelming shame, fear and pain – is ridiculous.

Jesus felt righteous anger and kicked people around using a whip. The God of the old testament confounds many people because the stories of how vengeful he was don’t seem to line up with the life we are told to live where even FEELING anger or vengeful thoughts is a sin that will send you to hell.

My opinion is simple. God created us in his own image. Jesus was a personification of God. We share some qualities with God, and I believe that feeling the need for revenge is one of them. If that little boy wants the bully dead, I believe we have a God who doesn’t agree, but UNDERSTANDS and in many cases, before we even think to reconcile with him, has come to terms with that anger.

So this morning as it was nearly ten years ago, I feel the anger, the need for revenge and the desire to inflict pain on another person. I believe that God sees a nation with vengeful thoughts and satisfaction over the death of another person and he understands.