Justice and Fairness

I really want life to be fair--just ask my husband, it's true. But as much as I want life to be fair, it never will be.

And justice will never truly be just. No one will get what he/she really deserves. And that's the beauty of grace.

"An eye for an eye and the world will go blind." Is it really just to kill a man because he's killed before? Jesus says, "You've heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment" (Matthew 5:21-22). If we take Jesus at His word then we should all face the same punishment as Osama bin Laden (OBL).

People rejoiced over the death of Jesus just like people rejoiced over OBL's death. The difference is that Jesus was a man who did many incredible things and who committed no wrongs. OBL hurt many people.

I'm not really sure where my thoughts are going tonight. Murder is wrong. OBL did many bad, horrible, awful things. But he was unarmed and killed in cold blood. I understand that taking him alive is a big, nasty can of worms, but is that reason enough to kill?

Regardless, people rejoiced over a murder. I cannot be alright with that. Two wrongs do not make a right; they never have and they never will.

My guess is that God's heart hurt as He watched this drama unfold. It hurt on September 11 and it hurt Sunday evening. It hurts as people rejoice over this death. Although OBL was a bad man, he was still made in God's image.

As Christians we need to be careful how we react to all of this. We need to not glorify murder or judge others, no matter what they have done. We are always being watched and our every action affects how others perceive Christ. That is not a light burden.