No person who values the dignity of every human life can truly rejoice in the ending of one by violence, even the death of one who was himself responsible for the shedding of so much innocent blood. And no one who has received undeserved mercy could desire anything less than mercy, even for one's worst enemy. One who is grateful that their own debt has been forgiven desires not for another to be bound by his for all eternity. By definition, mercy is always undeserved. To suggest that another is completely undeserving of it indicates that I've completely misinterpreted the gift that I've received, that I mistakenly think that I somehow deserve it and that it is my due, for some reason.
So I will not be rejoicing along with others today. I hope no one offers me a high-five over this, or suggests that this is a cause for celebration. When we celebrate the killing of a man, rather than observing it with appropriate solemnity, it says something dark about us. It speaks to our woundedness, not to any admirable quality in us. It is how we can tell the difference between a proper thirst for justice and a hot-headed desire for vengeance.
A misguided son of my loving Father has died. I know he was responsible for hurting many people deeply and taking many lives. But I am still sad for him.
Others have expressed these thoughts more eloquently than I, but these are mine.
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