I mourne 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
Received in an e-mail from a member of St. James United Church after the death of Osama bin Laden
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
45 so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.
46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have?
Do not even the tax collectors do the same?47 And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48
Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
Matthew 5: 43 – 48 , New Revised Standard Version Bible
(© 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America).
Osama bin Laden is dead – really dead. Al-Qaeda has confirmed it. All I felt was sadness at the news. I felt sad for the loss of life of all who have died and continue to die in the conflict between the West and al-Qaeda.
I also find it remarkable that when governments send out assassins to kill people that somehow it is not seen as murder but justifiable revenge. Not that Bin Laden had any qualms about killing people for his cause – nor does any powerful government have any qualms when people get in the way of important policies. There is a fine line between protecting one’s citizens or innocent people and violence as a means to an end.
Retribution as a form of payback and justice is an ancient, even primal response when someone hurts us or someone we love. You hit them back twice as hard and hopefully they learn a lesson and stop what they are doing. It is an “An eye for an eye” kind of solution.
Payback can feel really good. Barak Obama said in an interview recently that I saw on TV that the murder of Bin Laden was one of the most satisfying moments of his time in office.
It is a time of mixed feelings in the USA and for Canadians who lost family members at The World Trade Centre. Some are rejoicing, much like the rejoicing and celebrating that we see on TV when anti – American or anti-Western sentiments bubble up after an attack of some kind.
I felt that the US government marked his death in an emotionally and politically sensitive way. It was at the site of 9/11 with a tribute to those who had lost their lives in the attack and given their lives in service as first responders .
Here are a few responses from families from the New York area from an article “Families of 9/11 fallen still seeking closure. U.S. military's killing of al-Qaeda founder stirs up complex emotions for those connected to attacks” By Connor Adams Sheets, Thursday, May 5, 2011 11:40 AM EDT. The full article is at http://www.yournabe.com/articles/2011/05/11/flushing_times/news/ft_911_families_20110505.txt
”Talat Hamdani, mother of Bayside NYPD cadet and paramedic Mohammad Salman Hamdani, also experienced a distressing series of events in the aftermath of his death. Her son, who was a Muslim, disappeared after 9/11 and rumors surfaced that he had colluded with the terrorists, according to U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.).
In the end, it became clear that he had been smeared as a result of Islamophobia, Ellison said, and that when his remains were found in the rubble he was vindicated as a selfless man dedicated to helping the victims of the attacks. She is still fighting to have her son listed as a first responder, and signs suggest he will be soon.
Hamdani said she was initially “offended” at the celebrations of bin Laden’s death, but she eventually came to see it as an affirmation of the end of a destructive era.
“Then it was more of a celebration as an American that we are going to hold our enemies accountable,” she said. “I don’t think it would bring anybody closure, but a sense of relief. At least the guy who attacked us and jeered about it was brought to justice.”
Al Santora, of Long Island City, lost his son Christopher only two months after the young man became a member of Engine 54/Ladder 4 in Manhattan. Al Santora, who operates the Firefighter Christopher Santora Educational Scholarship Fund with his wife Maureen, focused more on the impacts eliminating the terrorist will have in the war against al-Qaeda.
“We’re elated about the death of Osama bin Laden. It’s a bittersweet victory,” he said. “You can’t be complacent and think that this is over ... hopefully, they’ll [al-Qaeda] be affected for a long time.”
Whitestone resident Dina Marie Amatuccio lost her father Joseph, who worked for the Port Authority as manager of maintenance at the World Trade Center, in the attacks.
She said a friend called her when she was in bed shortly after the announcement Sunday night to tell her bin Laden had been killed. She thought it was a dream and went to sleep, not registering it was reality until the next morning when she received a text message from her husband confirming the news.
“I don’t know why, but I didn’t feel as happy as I thought I would. I’m really happy that a person like him is gone and killed, but it took so long that now that it happened it hasn’t changed anything. My father still passed away and it doesn’t fix that,” she said. “When something bad happens, you always think of revenge, but as time passes it kind of goes away. And it just brought back so many emotional things for me.”The challenge with violent retribution and revenge is that when we repay violence with violence, this may just escalate the violence. Jesus knew that. He lived in a very violent time. He also lived under Roman occupation so that large acts of armed resistance would be violently quashed and lives would be lost. He offered his followers and he offers us a way to respond that takes the violence done to us very seriously, with acts of justice based in agape to try and turn things around.
Love your enemies. Gulp! Say what Jesus??
In the Greek the word love is agape. Agape is a form of the love of God and Jesus that always desires the best for another person. It is connected to unconditional love and grace.
Acts of agape are acts of “love” where we call others on their harmful actions – always desiring the best for the other person. They also are creative acts of loving justice that make the oppressor/aggressor think about their actions. They are part of process by which we seek healing for them and healing for ourselves.
I mourne 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
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