“jfksdjfiodfhjidfi (that would be my version of Telugu, the language here), Osama Bin Laden is dead.” “WHAT?!” Our translators hand me the newspaper which has pictures of Osama spread across the pages (India media covered the story way differently than how America did I’m sure). I’m left in a moment of shock, thinking back to 9/11 and everything that comes with that. Later that day we’re handed a different newspaper that has this picture plastered across the center page: As Shannon & I are talking about all that’s happening, I say to her, “Shannon, what if we get to Heaven and see Osama there?” Then praise God for his redemption. A question I’ve been asked when telling people about God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit has been, “why would Jesus let someone like a murdurer into Heaven?” I think sometimes we have a black and white mindset of good and evil. Jesus tells us that we all have sins before God and that its only with Jesus that our sins are forgiven. Jesus tells us that even thinking a bad thought about our neighbors is sin. Jesus tells us murder is sin. Jesus never says one is worse than another. He says sin is sin and it all seperates us from God which is why we need Jesus. Whatever you think about him, Osama is someone’s friend, someone’s brother, someone’s father. If you claim to believe the God of the Bible, than you’d believe that God created all humans in the image of Christ. That means Osama was created by God. My initial reaction of the news was saddness because I hope that Osama got to experience God’s love before he died. My reaction of saddness was because I saw my generation celebrating over a death because it is seen as a symbol of justice through the world’s eyes. Something tells me God’s eyes view this death a little differently. My teammate’s Dad raised a great point. The last time we saw a celebration like this was on September 11, 2001 when many Muslium people celebrated the death of thousands of Americans. We saw images of American flags burning and viewed the celebrations on the other side of the world as barbaric. Are we not doing the same? “Justice is the restorer of every place where love has been violated.”
That’s my generation
“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.
