In the light of the capture and killing of Osama bin Laden I have been curious to see what folks are saying around the internet. I am especially interested in Christian responses. If anything, I know that it stirs up many things inside of me. I am glad that an evil man has been stopped, yet i am sad that violence for violence remains the way of humanity. I will not rejoice in the killing of anyone. Jesus calls us to pray for our enemies, and so I do. I come to pray with a heart that is conflicted and searching. I come believing that prayer changes us. For the past few days my prayer has been guided by these words in the Book Of Common Prayer:
For our Enemies
O God, the Father of all, whose Son commanded us to love
our enemies: Lead them and us from prejudice to truth:
deliver them and us from hatred, cruelty, and revenge; and in
your good time enable us all to stand reconciled before you,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP 816)
I have also appreciated the following:
I copy the letter below that my friend The Rev. Rob Wright sent to his congregation. Rob doesn't mention it, but he also served in the U.S. Navy.
A Letter from the Rector - May 2, 2011 |
Brothers and Sisters, I greet you in the name of Jesus Christ.
I write in response to the report that Osama Bin Laden and others have been killed. While some will, understandably, rejoice at this news, I do not. I believe many others around the world do not. Something other than celebration is required here. A human being is dead, killed by other human beings. To say nothing of the many human beings killed over the nearly ten years since the war and manhunt began. While it is reported that Osama Bin Laden was a killer himself-and I have every reason to believe that- yet, even killers are human beings made in the image of God. Some say that justice has been done in ridding the world of Osama Bin Laden, and other "high priority targets," but this is not the justice that Jesus himself lived and taught. At His arrest the night before his Crucifixion Jesus told His disciples,"...those who live by the sword will die by the sword." There is no real justice or victory in the killing of Osama Bin Laden, or in any terrorist attack, or in any war, or with the execution of any criminal, only a tragic continuation of violence as a false solution passed on from one generation to the next. Please do not think me naïve; I was in New York City when hijacked airplanes toppled the Twin Towers. I was at Ground Zero while the buildings were still on fire ministering to First Responders. I saw first hand what hate and murder produced, and that emboldens me to say these things to you now: murder in all its forms is a moral failure, and a confession of our lack of creativity and civility. Today I ask you to join with me and other people around the world, Muslim and Christian alike in praying for the souls of all those killed: Osama Bin Laden; the men and women of our armed forces; all the families that have an empty seat at their dinner tables; the nameless faceless people in Iraq, Afghanistan Pakistan and finally for ourselves, our nation and our President, that we would recommit ourselves to the justice that Jesus actually taught, " to love enemy, to bless those that curse you; to pray for those who despitefully use you." Alleluia Christ is Risen! Rob+ |
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Good words in troubled times. As we go forward I am comforted by the words of the angels at the empty tomb, "Be not afraid," and of the words of the risen Jesus to his disciples, "Peace be with you."
Indeed.
Fr. Dude
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