Clarification

Sometimes we all feel misunderstood. I imagine God feels misunderstood a lot. I mean, He has all of these humans speaking in His Name, defending His honor, taking over His business and trying to help His cause here on earth. And yet, He designed us this way...to partner with Him. It is something that I don't believe I will ever fully comprehend this side of glory.

I posted earlier this week regarding the danger of reveling in Osama Bin Laden's death. This post may have been misunderstood by some who thought I was saying that Jesus is some weak pacifist who cringes at the thought of conflict. I do not think that at all, and feel the need to make my point clearer (maybe for my own peace of mind :). Anyway, here is an example of what I was trying to say:

A while back one of my sons found himself in a conflict, a battle, a war if you will. He was riding along with his girlfriend one night in the wee hours. She was driving, and she had her window part-way down. While waiting at a light, suddenly out of nowhere a man appeared at her driver side window, reached in the car and grabbed a hold of her hair and began trying to hit her. WHAT?? I can only imagine the panic from such an evil attack. Before he could even think, my son flew out of the car, ran around it and grabbed the man and began to beat the daylights out of him. The guy got a hit or two in, but was unable to fend off my son's defense and his pure adrenaline. The man ended up lying in the street, his face bloodied and broken, unconscious. While the altercation was going on, my son's girlfriend had called the police. Thankfully, a patrol car was just driving by as my son and his girlfriend were dragging the unconscious man over to the sidewalk, and he began to try and arouse the man. An ambulance came and transported him to the ICU where he remained for a couple of days, according to the officer who followed up with the kids. The police, after talking with my son and his girlfriend and an eye witness, said that they believed this man was either going to carjack the car, or take the car and the girl and do who knows what with her? At any rate, he was stopped.

Now, the point of my story is this. After this happened, my son found himself totally distraught. He was visibly upset and had difficulty even relating the story to us. In hindsight, he was horrified remembering the sound of the punches as they plummeted this guy's face, and the damage that was done to him by my son's own hand. It was simply awful, and traumatic, and he was worried that the man might not recover.

All I can say is how thankful I am that this was my son's response to the incident. While I believe he did exactly what he needed to do in that moment, I rejoice that he did not have an attitude of bravado about it, an attitude that says "Yeah! Sucker got what he deserved! I should have killed him!!" because that would have broken this mother's heart.

I am thankful that my son and his girlfriend both survived the attack. And I hate that there is evil lurking in darkness to attack my loved ones. But there is, and I know that in that situation my son's reaction was absolutely appropriate. And I also think that his attitude in afterthought is equally as appropriate, because it shows that while violence is sometimes needed, to glory in it is never humane.

And that was the point of my previous post. Thank you for allowing me to share my heart.

"And (may) the peace of God, which transcends all understanding......guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Don't Stone Me

Osama Bin Laden is dead. This seems to be the topic of the day. It also seems to be a reason for rejoicing. While I agree that he was a man who allowed evil to take him over, I wonder if God is rejoicing in his death?

I remember Jesus saying something about "forgiving others seventy times seven". Wow, that is a whole lot of forgiveness right there. I don't remember Him telling us to hate anybody. I don't recall Him showing hatred for any person. In fact, the very man who traveled with him, performed miracles with him, and ate with him also betrayed Him with a kiss and gave Him up to the ones who would eventually have Him killed. Yet what did Jesus call Judas in that moment? He called him "friend".
I am a friend of Jesus. Maybe that isn't so much because I am a good person, maybe it's because He is.

Do I believe that God created me? Do I believe that God values life? I do. Did God create Judas? Did He create Osama Bin Laden?
I wonder if Mr. Laden had a mother. I wonder if her dream for him was that he would one day be overrun with evil and facilitate the killing of so many innocent people? I wonder if Osama believed he was doing right, even pleasing God by doing evil? I wonder how hate replaced love in his heart. I wonder when he began to attribute hate as one of God's characteristics?

Am I agreeing with the heart of God in prayer and in life, if I rejoice in the death of a life that He created?
Does God grieve when His creation chooses evil over Him?
Does God rejoice in killing? Is life sacred to the Father?

Who crucified Jesus? What was their motivation? Was it love, hate, or fear?
Sometimes I must resist becoming a part of the angry mob.
Today I choose love.