I Shall Not Rejoice, pt. III
“Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord” Romans 12:19. With the death of Osama bin Laden, I suppose it was to be expected that throngs should gather outside the White House to celebrate the death of one who killed so many innocents. I will not join them. In truth, sin darkens the hearts of all men. Proverbs 24:17 states "Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles….”
I remember that day in school in 2001 when the news of the awful tragedy of the twin towers struck. Students sat spellbound in their seats as a catastrophe unfolded before them the likes of which had not been seen since Pearl Harbor in 1941. It was a time of bitter sadness, the thousands of innocents dying before our eyes.
The second article I wrote back then on the Palestinian people celebrating in the streets was meant to illustrate the back and forth retribution that causes a spiritual chain of hate, and deaths upon deaths. It is one thing when countries go to war, as in World War II, to protect the innocent. It is another when people clutch anger to their hearts like a deadly viper. The only winner in such a struggle is the enemy of all mankind. As seen in the picture, it appears that we Americans are no better than they, regardless of the cause.
I am reminded today that the Lord is Lord over all. Keep us humble. With Bin Laden’s death, let us look to ourselves, then to You. Free us from our pride. Let us surrender all our will, our hopes, our motivations, our dreams, our thoughts to You. In doing so, heal our collective hearts- Christian and Islamic, American and Palestinian- and let us rest.
G.Houtchens
Armchair coach
Amateur historian
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