osama.

I literally started crying when got the news (through all the facebook statuses) about the death--murder, actually--of Osama Bin Laden. And it wasn't because I was relieved or overjoyed.

I have/had been praying for him ever since the terrorist attacks ten years ago. I can still remember the picture of his face on a magazine I saw in the check-out line of the grocery store the first time I decided I would pray for him. I'm not gonna lie, he wasn't at the top of my prayer list. It's not like I prayed for him every day or even every week. But it was often enough that I felt invested in his life. And now that it's over before he got to know God as his Savior--that I know of, but I don't know all things--I'm really upset at the loss.

Furthermore, I'm rather disturbed by the rejoicing and bashing that's going on. He's dead, do you still have to make fun of him and call him terrible things? He was murdered and now gets to spend eternity in hell. Does that warrant parties and laughter? We all deserve death. We're all just as guilty of sin as he. Some of us know about God's gift of eternal life and no longer have to pay for our sins. We especially should feel burdened and reminded by this death that we need to be out there spreading God's name in everything we do. Don't keep the gift of eternal life to yourself. Share.

Love does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you.