"Why the face?!"
(courtesy of Phil Dunphey from Modern Family)
Friday, May 13, 2011
Monday, May 2, 2011
Let's not get carried away
With today's news of OBL's murder, the US government and military has completed a long held objective and thus has reason to "celebrate". And for many this news may even provide a further sense that justice has been accomplished. Given our perspective of retributive justice, so wonderfully portrayed to us by Hollywood and the unbalanced scales of the US justice system, this may be true.
However, let's not take it too much further than that. Let's not forget that we are a people whose government and its military is still occupying other nations and is responsible for the disappearance and death of many civilians. Let us not forget that despite our ideological affirmation of "justice for all", there is no justice for all if you happen to come from the "wrong" part of town, are a hard working immigrant with no visa, are a Katrina survivor, a gay or lesbian Christian trying to find a non-homophobic faith community or a San Antonio Spurs fan (j/k). The list can go on...
So let's be coherent and transparent on this. If you are a Christian and want to celebrate, just be honest and say that you are happy about the fact that the US got revenge by blowing OBL's brains out. To me that's much better than cloaking it in pious, pseudo-religious justification or meaning. Try not to bring God into the equation by asking him to bless others through this or by attributing this action by the US government to God's doing, sovereignty or whatever.
After all in the midst of this weird, almost dark and morbid euphoria being displayed in the US, let's be careful not to confuse patriotism and nationalism with a way of life that is true to what Jesus of Nazareth taught through his words and life. A life characterized by mercy, compassion and a loving justice that was infused with concern for the downtrodden, excluded and powerless.
However, let's not take it too much further than that. Let's not forget that we are a people whose government and its military is still occupying other nations and is responsible for the disappearance and death of many civilians. Let us not forget that despite our ideological affirmation of "justice for all", there is no justice for all if you happen to come from the "wrong" part of town, are a hard working immigrant with no visa, are a Katrina survivor, a gay or lesbian Christian trying to find a non-homophobic faith community or a San Antonio Spurs fan (j/k). The list can go on...
So let's be coherent and transparent on this. If you are a Christian and want to celebrate, just be honest and say that you are happy about the fact that the US got revenge by blowing OBL's brains out. To me that's much better than cloaking it in pious, pseudo-religious justification or meaning. Try not to bring God into the equation by asking him to bless others through this or by attributing this action by the US government to God's doing, sovereignty or whatever.
After all in the midst of this weird, almost dark and morbid euphoria being displayed in the US, let's be careful not to confuse patriotism and nationalism with a way of life that is true to what Jesus of Nazareth taught through his words and life. A life characterized by mercy, compassion and a loving justice that was infused with concern for the downtrodden, excluded and powerless.
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