During the traditional Jewish Seder meal, often called the Passover, participants recite variations of a formal litany called the Haggadah. The Haggadah tells the story of God's intervention on behalf of the Hebrew people during their period of slavery in Egypt. God hears the cry of the people, sends Moses and Aaron to lead them out of Pharaoh's bondage to freedom and begin the journey towards their own Promised Land (Exodus 3:1-f). It is the Hebrew peoples' story of salvation; historical and spiritual. It is a ritual repeated each year as the Jewish people remember who they are and Whose they are.
During the Haggadah, the Ten Plagues are recited and remembered. These were the ten miraculous acts of confrontation meant to force the Pharaoh to "let God's people go!" The tenth plague was the 'passover' of the angel of death who killed all the first born males of Egypt, the final act which forced the hand of the Egyptian king and began the Hebrew journey to freedom.
As the Ten Plagues are recited, each participant removes a drop of wine from his or her glass with a finger tip, making it less than full. The Sages had long taught that one cannot be completely joyous, even for salvation from tyranny, when it comes at the expense of suffering by another of God's creatures.
Its not hard to imagine Jesus of Nazareth and his friends doing this same ritual two thousand years ago as they gathered for what Christians call The Last Supper, which was their last Passover meal together. Well versed in the Hebrew scriptures, he knew the intent of Proverbs 24:17 "Do not rejoice when your enemies fall, and do not let your heart be glad when they stumble..." After all it was this carpenter who by inverting the ancient law fulfilled it, "You have heard that it was said,'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy'. But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you..." (Matthew 5:43-44)
The assassination of Osama bin Laden ended the life of a mass murderer. That's a good thing. But it is not the occasion for rejoicing.
It is the occasion to thank the men and women of our military and intelligence forces who stand between us and those who would do us harm. To do nothing to stop terrorist extremists would make us complicit in their mindless violence. Those who take up arms to defend and protect, often with great sacrifice to themselves and their families, deserve our support and deepest respect.
It is the occasion to remember the thousands of survivors of 9/11 who have had to learn to live without those they loved who were killed on that tragic day and/or who by their own sacrifices in response have had to deal with life changing illnesses.
It is the occasion to reflect on the tens of thousands of non-combatants who have died in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan in our response to the war on terror and the toll it has taken on their families and friends.
It is the occasion to mourn that a world so full of resource and beauty has yet to find a way to settle its differences without violence.
But this is not the time to rejoice at the death of a man, even one so brutal as Osama bin Laden.
On the internet response to these events, all sorts of comments have been shared. From the surviving spouse of the victim of murder in a workplace shooting, we are reminded of these words:
"I mourn the death of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even if my enemy. Returning hate for hate, only multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that..." Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
I choose to rejoice in the conviction of such a person, who deserving of hatred and revenge refuses such darkness. In such conviction lies the hope of the world, not the elimination of any one evil man.
No comments:
Post a Comment