Hard Truth

After everything that has happened this week, we again realize how short life is, how important loved ones are, how real the threat of terrorism still is and how important God is in all of this. At least that's what i've realized. I've also realized some harder truths.

When i first heard about the bombings in Boston, the first thing i thought was terrorists, i'm sure most people did. The most obvious question was, is this foreign terrorists, i.e. taliban, n. korea, or was this domestic terrorism a la timothy mcvey, unibomber, d.c. sniper? Then while these questions were going through my head, there were reports of poisoned mail to the president and congressmen. And then there was waco fertilizer booms. What kind of crazy world do we live in right? So all these thoughts are going through our heads, terrorists, assassination attempts, crazy! As the news reported people were angry! Then to find out that a child was killed in Boston? Super angry!

As i'm sure everyone else thought, I began thinking and hoping they would find the dude or dudes that did this and kill them. You know make them pay. Then as the anger slowly begins to subside the feelings turn to who was he working with. Now its, don't kill him, keep him alive and find out who he's working for. At the same time, in my head i was thinking, death is too easy for this guy. Make him suffer. Make him pay for all the people injured, the one's who lost limbs, the ones whose lives were taken so quickly. Of course he's going to want to die, so that way he can't talk, but that's the cowards way out right? Blow people up, make them suffer then end your life before anything else can happen to you, and in your country or culture or beliefs, you're either a hero or a martyr. I'll admit that made me angry.

But now I've come to face some hard truths. I know whoever is reading this may become very angry with what i'm about to say, but hear me out. Just listen to what i have to say, please. I feel sorry for these guys, for many reasons. And i want to say that i forgive them for what they did. I know not everyone will be able to but, i'm not asking everyone too. Again, just hear me out. We don't know how these boys were raised, what their lives were like, what kind of culture they lived in. I don't know what they believed in their hearts. I don't know why they chose to kill people.

I do know this though. My God still loves them. My God still forgives them. My God's heart is broken not just because of all the lives lost in the bombing, but for them as well. And if they die without knowing my Lord they are going to spend eternity in hell. I know most will say they deserve it, but guess what so do i. I may have never killed anyone, and i never hope to either, but i'm still a sinner. And without God's grace, i'd be right next to them in hell. But my God doesn't want that for anyone. My God's desire is that none would perish, but all would come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). Even these two guys. And I have the same desire. It breaks my heart to know that not everyone will be in heaven one day. Now i'm not saying they shouldn't be punished for what they did, because they absolutely should, but I don't believe that punishment should be an eternity apart from God. Though i think we all deserve this, I'm thankful for a great graceful loving and forgiving God, who gives us the choice to be with Him. In the end, I will pray for these men and their family just as much as i pray for the victims of these tragedies, because i love my God and that is what he has asked me to do.

Matthew 5:43-48 43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor[a] and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

In God's Love,

Jaime Whosoever