Michael’s recent post about Bin Laden’s death is a wonderful example of a pastor doing good theology in response to an event that has grabbed everyone’s attention.
Christians love enemies. We don’t celebrate at their deaths. If anything, we mourn their deaths because we mourn the deaths of those we love. At the heart or the bottom or the ground or the starting point (whatever you choose) of Christianity is the person of Jesus who told his disciples to live in this way. He told us to forgive. Indeed, he told us that being part of his kingdom meant, among other things, the sustained and hilarious and long practice of forgiveness. There are other things which come from Jesus about his Father’s kingdom. There are doctrines that the Church throughout the centuries has developed in response to those teachings. Forgiveness is first.
I hope you’ll read the entire post and then the follow-up, “What Forgiveness Is and Isn’t.”
David W. Swanson 