A bad end

It is reported that Osama bin Laden has been killed by U.S. military action.

This man is responsible for the death of thousands, and the reactions to his actions have killed many thousands more. NBC News is calling it “breathtaking.” 9/11/01 and its many victims took my breath away; this does not.

Many will celebrate; I cannot. If any deserve death for their crimes, Osama bin Laden surely did. I have suffered with my neighbors. I have walked through the ruins he made. I have cared for the remains of his victims, and grieved with those who survived his attacks. Let the names of his victims be remembered. Let their lives be lifted up.

I am glad Osama bin Laden no longer has the ability to do harm. His life has been soaked in blood. Yet I am sorry to see his end come in still more violence. Despite all its complications, I wish he could have had the trial we – the civilized world – so richly deserved.

But that is apparently done. There will be a parade of images, his body will be displayed, and many will be glad to call this the end of his story.

May God have mercy on his soul.
 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Martin Luther King and the Good Samaritan

Image
Martin Luther King, Jr. often referred to the parable of the Good Samaritan ( Luke 10:25-37 ). While King’s interpretation of the parable evolved over time, he maintained a consistent focus on the way the parable allows us to examine the obligations owed to one another, provided an enduring way to read this text. King had a sermon on the topic which he used frequently. "Who Is My Neighbor?" highlights the question asked of Jesus. Jesus’ questioner, a lawyer, is testing Jesus and testing the limits of what Jesus’ God requires. They are agreed that loving God and neighbor is essential. But how far does this go? In 1964, in a sermon preached at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, he discerned a philosophy or motivating principle expressed in the actions of three sets of the parable’s characters. "Everyone within the sound of my voice today lives by one of these three philosophies." 1. The Robbers Often taken for granted, the waylaying of the traveler is what makes the
Read more

11 years after

Image
On this 11th anniversary, let us remember in prayer all those who died, those who were injured, those who mourn, those who stepped forward to extend a helping hand, those who suffer 9/11-related illness. May God bring healing to all touched by these attacks, and to each of us. On this day, let us care for one another, help us take care of ourselves, and seek to live in peace. Amen.&nbsp facebook.com/groups/911prayer Forget for a moment the issues with the Memorial, with the Port Authority and the Mayor and the Zadroga bill and Homeland Security. Remember the people of 9/11, the victims, the survivors, the responders. Behind every name there is a face, and many, many stories. Here are a few. (This page will be updated throughout the day of September 11, 2012.) I invite you to consider your own remembrance at Remember Me: The Virtual Facebook September 11, 2001 Memorial . Remembering JOSEPH LOVERO , of Jersey City, NJ. Joe was chasing firetrucks before he could add. Growing up, he l
Read more

Lent 6 - I am a broken dish

Image
Sixth Sunday in Lent March 16, 2008 Isaiah 50:4-9a; Psalm 31:9-16 ; Philippians 2:5-11; Matthew 26:14—27:66 (Liturgy of the Passion) There is no story more important to Christians than the Passion. There are no more central Messianic prophecies than the “suffering servant” songs of Isaiah. And there is no better summary of Christ’s role than the Christ-hymn of Philippians. With so much going on in these great texts, we might easily miss what God is saying as we pray this Psalm, in the midst of these proclamations of Christ. For the Passion, the suffering servant, the Philippians hymn, all describe one who is an outcast. Insults, bullying, gossip, layoffs, illness, divorce, aging, scandal, rejection. There are so many ways to be out, not in. Everyone I know has been in this position, though it is one we would all rather flee. Yet this Sunday, this Holy Week, in fact every Sunday and every week, God directs us again and again to attend to the one who is suffering. In the Pass
Read more