"Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice" Proverbs 24:17.
I had not expected to respond to a news event quite so quickly when I started Stranger with Casserole but the death Osama Bin Laden and the reaction to it have been on my mind since it was announced on Monday.Rolling news programmes have been full of the reports ever since. The announcements from the US President and the British Prime Minster were broadcast repeatedly. These were carefully worded but neither disguised that this had been a determined campaign to rid the world of its no. 1 enemy; an act of revenge for the atrocities of the bombings and the destruction of the Twin Towers that he and al-Qaeda had inspired in radicalised Muslims. It was not long before the gloating started.
Social network sites were bustling with comment and, at one point it was the top trending topic on Twitter. It was through Facebook that someone chose to quote Martin Luther King Jr. and this was copied from friend to friend until it reached me: -
“I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. 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.
I copied and posted the quote to my friends. As many of my friends are professing Christians, the response was mostly positive but there were a few who justified the killing by commenting that some acts of violence are so atrocious that there can be no other response but elimination of the enemy. I felt increasingly uneasy at the cheering crowds at Ground Zero and the people interviewed who condoned and even celebrated the killing.
I am well aware that there will have been those who died, those who were injure, those who mourn and those who will have suffered fear from the atrocious acts perpetrated in the name of Islam. People of many races and religions have suffered. I can understand those who want closure, those who seek justice and those who want revenge. I can understand it but I cannot concur with it. I cannot concur with it because, as Dr. King makes clear, it is not a position a Christian can take.
What is the Christian response?
There will be some who point to the Bible and claim ‘An eye for an eye’ (Ex 21 v24) and ‘The Lord takes vengeance on his foes’ (Na 1 v2). Jesus condemned the ‘An eye for an eye’ mentality encouraging his followers to turn the other cheek. Indeed, more recently Mohandas Gandhi is attributed with expanding this with ‘an eye for an eye will make the whole world blind.’ Vengeance may be the Lords but we are on shaky ground if we believe we can guess what really angers God and claim to act in his name when exacting His vengeance.
It is clear from Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 5 vv38-48 how we should be reacting towards those who would seek to destroy us. To those who strike us, we should be turning the other cheek; to those who steal from us we should inviting them to take more; to those who enslave us we should offer greater service. Jesus, exorts us to ove those who hate us. In this way we shame those who would do us harm. We show that we will not conform to the standards of the world when we strive to live as Christ would have us live. Moreover, we break the cycle of hate and revenge that the ‘An eye for an eye’ mentality provokes.
That’s hard and I know it’s hard. Forgiveness, loving those who have hurt us is hard. It’s hard because it breaks very natural instincts; revenge, self preservation, natural justice, sense of insult, loathing, shock and grief. Giving into these instincts is easy and yet it is often seen as the ‘right’ thing to do; the appropriate response, showing resolve, honouring the victims. Whereas turning the other cheek and showing forgiveness is seen as weak, even cowardly. This could not be further from the truth. Living the Christian life is often counterintuitive. It takes huge amounts of courage to love the unlovable; it takes faith and fortitude to forgive the unforgivable.
Dr King’s words reflect the attitude we need to take in responding to the acts of terrorism and the death of the terrorist; mourn the thousands of victims but not do gloat over the death of the perpetrator. No wrong was ever righted with another wrong.
My fear in all that has happened over the last few days is that the death of Osama Bin Laden and the response that followed will lead to further and greater acts of retribution. Muslims who feel powerless and disenfranchised will fail to heed the voices of reason within their communities and seek further and greater revenge. The enemy is martyred and will become a stronger symbol of their brand of Islam. The more easily influenced will become radicalised and will offer themselves in the next round of terrorist atrocities. The rest of the world will respond by seeking out those responsible to destroy them.
Violence cannot drive out violence; only reconciliation can do that. This has been proved again and again throughout history and particularly in the wars, disputes and insurrections of the 20th and 21st Centuries. World leaders refuse to talk to terrorist or those who would seek to intercede for them. While these policies persist, reconciliation will always be unrealisable.
God, rescue us from our foolishness.
Prince of Peace,
We mourn the thousands who have died
in acts of terrorism;
we grieve with those who have lost loved one;
we seek comfort for those who fear.
We mourn the thousands who have died
in acts of terrorism;
we grieve with those who have lost loved one;
we seek comfort for those who fear.
But Lord, help us also not to seek pleasure
in the fall of our enemies.
Let us learn by your example
in the fall of our enemies.
Let us learn by your example
to turn the other cheek,
to offer the other coat
to walk the second mile
and to love enemies
as we would love our friends.
Bring us together, Lord,
in acts that lead to real peace. Amen.
© Robert Alderman
in acts that lead to real peace. Amen.
© Robert Alderman
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