43 ‘You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.” 44But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. 46For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax-collectors do the same?
Matthew 5:43-46
That Jesus, has to ruin all that American fun and celebration about someone’s death.
Oh, and that Solomon guy?
“17 Do not rejoice when your enemies fall,
and do not let your heart be glad when they stumble”
Proverbs 24:17
Here is the party invitation from FOX NEWS
My only hope this means we can leave Afghanistan, for good and avoid the fate of the Russians.
“And this is how democracy ends, with the sound of applause.”-Senator Padme Amidala, Star Wars Episode III
Thank you. I’ve been so angry tonight, and you have made it better.
You’re welcome. That Jesus, just such a party pooper.
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This is the blog equivalent of “SHAZAM!”
Pay attention, America, this changes nothing. If anything, it makes us entrench deeper in the myth of redemptive violence. Vengeance is MINE, says YHWH.
Amen!
i find the whole thing anti climactic and pointless anyway. seriously Usama being dead is going to make a difference how? wayyyyyy too many lives wasted…not to mention our economy is tanked! and so what’s going to happen now? its not like the war is over or going anywhere….
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This woman is amazing. Imagine if more people adopted her attitude…What would our hearts be toward terrorists?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUFTOD-RiVY
ok so lets look back at the chain of events here..one natural disaster after another..then Good Friday..then Easter…then royal wedding..them osama crushed…
despite how much i disagree with mark driscoll on things. i must admit i too share the sentiments of his tweet pointing out a grand royal wedding and the defeat of a tyrant parallels the biblical narrative of Christ’s union with his church…and the ultimate defeat of Satan…and the world just seems readier than ever to embrace these realities! i wonder if this marks the beginning seeds for some postmillenial golden age lol.
and the mid east revolutions
I want to give some push back against some of what you were saying. I’ll number them to help with responses.
1. The people who killed Osama bin Laden were part of the US government. Governments exist to execute justice on behalf of God (Rom. 13). Therefore, this was not a “death” but a governmental execution of a known murderer. Because a nation is made of a majority of Christians does not mean the government forsakes its job of providing justice, opting for grace instead.
2. I rejoice that our government executed justice to this man. We tend to read only small sections of the Old Testament, the parts devoid of anger, calls for justice, and complaints to God. These emotions are too raw, too real for many Christians who believe Jesus brings only joy, even in times of deep trouble. Instead we stay in the easier sections, ones where God is praised ceaselessly. This stunts our spiritual growth. Passages such as Prov. 11:10 and 21:15, more relevant to this situation, give what actually goes on in a person and a healthy response when the wicked are punished. To stay these feelings are out of bounds because “I was once an enemy of God” is simplistic and reductionist. I am not the same as an unrepentant murderer.
3. I can pray for my enemy to repent and rejoice in justice for the wicked. To put it succinctly, I pray he will repent but rejoice when he is brought defiantly to justice. I do not see how these are mutually exclusive. A Christian can do both. I believe this is what Jesus and Solomon meant when they stated we should love our enemies and not be happy when they stumble. “Stumble” does not equal “executed in the name of justice.” I don’t want bad things to happen to Al Qaeda but I want them to be defeated and brought to justice.
4. I do not want to defend those who gloat about Osama bin Laden’s fate. I do not wish for him to “burn in hell” for eternity. Thank God (literally!) that this is not my decision.
As a Christian, I believe our witness is diminished when we deny that feeling of anger and calls for vengeance can be directed to God. It makes Christianity seem aloof and detached from real life. Christ did not die so that we could turn off our emotions and when we die go to a disembodied oasis of pleasure. He died so we could be in relationship with God, the church and the world. Those who violate this relationship are punished. I am saddened that Osama bin Laden never knew the God I love and serve and repented of his sins. But I have joy that this man has paid the price for his actions through our just government.
Paul Washer’s quotes sum it up for me:
I find no reason to rejoice over the death of any man unless he be Christian and bound for glory.
I pray that Osama’s death might move the church to a greater commitment to reach the Arab world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Osama bin Ladin’s death should create a deep contrition in our hearts. Have we done all we can to reach men with the Gospel?
A-MEN!
And I love how Washer points out that the death of a Christian is a cause for REJOICING and not lament! Just goes to show how futile so many of our views of the LORD in glory who awaits us really are.
Not to mention our tragically shallow our views of HELL must really be…It’s really quite frightening to think how many unbelievers are saying things like “Usama better rot in hell…”