Conflicted Feelings

As all of you know by now Osama bin Laden was confirmed to be dead yesterday. Yet, as everyone else gloats, cheers, celebrates, and congratulates my heart feels conflicted. To me there is no joy in taking a man's life....any man's life. However, sometimes there is a duty that must be carried out. A duty so great that many people's lives depend on it..... A duty of protection, not vengeance.

Please hear me when I say that I deeply appreciate the sacrifices made by our military men and women in order to keep us safe. I now live within the military community and am personally connected to several active members of our armed forces. I've seen first hand the sacrifices they make in leaving their family behind to join in a cause that they find worthy. I've become acutely aware of how often they have left their families on a moments notice to chase down a threat that we, as civilians, didn't even know existed. They are, in EVERY sense of the word, heros.

So I get why there was such a collective sigh of relief last night as people heard of Osama bin Laden's death. However, I still cannot come to terms with Celebrating this man's death. I mourn the life he led and the choices he made. I mourn the fact that he seemed to have never heard the word of God...or worse yet heard it and rejected it. I mourn the fact that he didn't know a personal relationship with Christ. So today, even though most will probably scoff at me, I refuse to rejoice in his demise.

Proverbs 24 :17 "do not gloat when your enemy falls; when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice."

“Osama bin Laden, as we all know, bore the most serious responsibility for spreading divisions and hatred among populations, causing the deaths of innumerable people, and manipulating religions to this end,” said Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman, who released a brief written statement reacting to the news. “In the face of a man’s death, a Christian never rejoices, but reflects on the serious responsibilities of each person before God and before men, and hopes and works so that every event may be the occasion for the further growth of peace and not of hatred.” -Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, on the death of Osama bin Laden.