If this post offends anyone or hurts anyone, please accept my heartfelt apologies. It was not my intention to cause anyone pain. I fully understand that for some people, the war on terror will never be over. We all lost something that September day.
Today is not a day to rejoice. I realize this is not a popular sentiment right now. After all, it is the day after Divine Mercy Sunday, Pope John Paul the Great is now Blessed Pope John Paul the Great, and hey, Lent is over, so why not be happy? This brings me to the other news of the day. Ten years ago our great nation was attacked by terrorists. This week, their nefarious leader, Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden, was killed. Finally, there is some justice for all those lives that were lost on September 11, 2001. Finally, there might be an end to the war on terror. Finally, people can move on, or can they?
There is a country song that claims that in order to "forget" one must forgive first, but doing either of those is reassuring that you must "relive and regret." I believe that it is impossible to forget what happened. I will never forget where I was when I heard, or remember where I was when it happened. I will never forget the shock I felt when I realized how many souls had died in agony. I will never forget the men and women who left for war in the Middle East and their children, my friends, who were left behind. I will never forget.
Among my sorrow for the innocent people who died that September day, and for those brave men and women who died fighting for me in that war, I also felt something else. I felt guilt, for praying for those people that no one was mourning. I felt guilty for mourning the terrorists. I could not understand what they had done and I doubt I will ever be able to forgive as Christ would have me, but I felt the pain that a life had been, had lived, and had died, held in the clutches of darkness. I was thirteen years old that day. Hardly a child but no where near an adult, I prayed. I prayed that God would forgive those men who had hurt us because I did not know if we could. I prayed for anyone who had loved them, especially those who did not understand what had happened. Surely someone had loved them in their life? My Mother once said that peace would reign when the mothers of al-qaeda loved their sons more than they hated Americans. Love can conquer hate. Forgiveness can conquer pain and regret.
I prayed when Sadam Hussein was executed and I pray again now. I realize this is an unpopular sentiment but I hope everyone will forgive me. There is little doubt in my mind that Osama bin Laden has done little in his life that is praiseworthy. He was a wicked man who has done wicked things. I fully agree that there is no painful, disgusting, horrible death that would be too evil for him; hung, drawn, and quartered comes to mind. I believe in capital punishment and I firmly believe that there is no one else who deserved death more, but still I urge you to pray.
Vatican spokesman, Fr. Federico Lombardi said, "Faced with the death of a man, a Christian never rejoices, but reflects on the serious responsibility of each and every one of us before God and before man, and hopes and commits himself so that no event be an opportunity for further growth of hatred, but for peace."
Christ came to teach us to forgive, because forgiveness is not for bin Laden's benefit, but for our own. That which we forgive we are forgiven and that which we hold onto stays with us forever. I will never forget what he did but let the past become the past. Pray for his immortal soul, and try not to get too giddy about the idea of his demise. Why? Because bin Laden was made in the image of God, just like you and I, and God loves him just as much as you and I. Perhaps this is an unpopular belief, but I feel it is important to say. (And besides, think how much it would bug him if a bunch of CHRISTIANS prayed for him?)
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