Struggling

If you are a conscious human being living on earth, you know by now that Osama Bin Laden was killed the other night.  For the past day and a half, I have been reading articles, watching videos, and seeing countless facebook posts about this news... This is a lot of what I saw/read:

"GO USA!"

"YEAH! Osama's dead!"

"Thank goodness Osama got killed"

[[etc... take your pick... I am sure you've read them too.]]

Right away, I didn't know what to think.  Actually, that's a lie... I was pretty mad.  Then I had to stop and think... why was I mad?  Then I got sad.  Then I was mad again.  Then I was a little happy.  Then I was mad at myself for being happy.  Then I was mad AND sad.  Then I didn't know what to feel.

Then I started reading a plethora of posts about how God never rejoices in a man being condemned to Hell, and that we should never welcome a man's death with open arms, etc...  Again, I didn't know how I felt about it all. 

Being an American in New Zealand has automatically made me a target for questions about how I feel about Osama's death.  Unfortunately, a lot of Kiwis think that all Americans are like those they saw in the news singing "God Bless America" and chanting "USA! USA! USA!" at ground zero.  In most cases, I have tried to avoid it/not really talk about it.  But, here's what I will say and have said...

Not all Americans think that way.

I am upset by the extreme patriotism on the American end.

I think what happened on September 11, 2001 was absolutely horrendous.

I am all for social justice and peace.  

I think there is reason to rejoice and give glory to GOD when peace is restored after injustice.

I do NOT under any circumstance believe that Osama Bin Laden's actions can be or should be categorized as "Muslim actions" or that they were reflective of the Islamic faith.

I am not excusing any of Bin Laden's doings.

Bin Laden was NOT the source of evil.

I can never and will never rejoice in the death of a human being.

I believe in a JUST, LOVING, and GOOD God.

I am incredibly thankful that no one but God judges the dead.

I am not going to lie and say that there wasn't one small part of me that thought, "Well, the world will be a little better off without him here."  But then I disgusted myself... "I don't think that way and never want to think that way!!!"  I love when there is justice, but I do not see the death of ordinary men as justice or  justification for sin.  Jesus already did that.  If I believe in what the Bible says, which I do, then judging my sins alone, I am in just as bad as a position as Bin Laden was.  However, Jesus is the key here.  Do I believe Bin Laden is in heaven? No, I don't think so.  And I honestly think God is weeping for Osama... sad that he doesn't get to spend eternity with him.

I am not meaning to sound holier than thou.  I am not meaning to preach or counter attack all those who have posted their opinions on facebook.  But I do think that we need to be careful about how quickly we allow our immediate heart responses to be fleshed out on social media sites.  I think people, especially believers, should think more about the human condition and the heart of the LORD.

I think too many people rejoiced for the wrong reasons.

A couple things I saw/read today that I really enjoyed:  

"...Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live'..." Ezekiel 33:11

"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.