I wasn't sleeping particularly well Sunday night. I would catch a few winks here and there but mostly I just rolled around the bed to find just the right position in which I would fall into a deep slumber. That never happened. In the middle of my tossing and turning my phone lit-up and that's when I saw the CNN app on my phone alert me that Osama (or Usama depending on which network you watch) Bin Laden had been discovered and killed. Knowing that there was no way I would be getting sleep at this point, I turned on the news.
I have to be honest, my first reaction was pleasure. I was glad that such a horrible man was dead. This man's death somehow made me feel a little safer. This man's death brought me pleasure. Apparently I wasn't the only one with this reaction. I watched as thousands of Americans flooded Time Square, ground zero, The White House, West Point, etc. The celebration that went on for hours resembled that of a city in which it's football team had won the Super Bowl. They were mostly young people with plenty of beers in hands (way to go America). I was watching the party in the streets for about 15 minuets when I started getting a feeling that something was not right. Something didn't feel right about celebrating a man's death the way that we were. I immediately regretted my initial reaction and began to wonder, "How am I supposed to react?"
Later the next day I got my answer. I wish I could tell you that I immediately got out my Bible, got on my knees and began to seek God. I didn't. My answer came via a tweet from Rick Warren: "I take no pleasure in the death of wicked people. I only want them to turn from wicked ways so they may live" Ezekiel 33:11". This is in the Bible, these are literally God's words!
So, as I think back to those thousands of people praising bin Laden's death, I think to myself "those are thousands of people who don't get it." If you recall my initial reaction, I would be included with those who don't get it. It is now that I am realizing that there is more to life on this earth than selfish gratifications.
I am blessed to be unemployed right now. Go ahead, you can re-read that if you like. I said I am blessed to be unemployed right now. What good does it do me to worry? My God is bigger than that. Somehow (which is no doubt God) my bills are paid and I have money in the bank. Yet I have not worked in over a month. And when I did work it was for only 4 weeks. Before that, I have been unemployed since Oct. 2010. So why do I consider it a blessing to be unemployed? I was sitting on the couch this afternoon watching TV when I had a God moment. "What am I doing? I know I will be getting a job soon" (this is not just confidence, there is something in the works with an engineering firm in Atlanta). "Why don't I take this time to do something to advance His kingdom?" So I did. I feel like I get it again. We are not on this earth to sit around and watch TV while others never experience the love of Jesus Christ.
If you pay attention to the words of many old gospel hymns, it's all about getting into heaven. I think somewhere along the lines the message was lost. Don't get me wrong, getting into heaven is a big deal. But really...that's the easy part. The hard part is living like Jesus. Loving like Jesus. Telling others about Jesus. I think many Christians will accept Christ, get their ticket, then sit in the terminal until they are called to board the plane. But I also see a new generation of Christians. Those who accept Christ and continue to pursue his heart...I love that. I want to be a part of that generation of Christians.
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