Justice and forgiveness

Joy and I have just returned from a weekend mini-vacation in the mountains when we got the news about Ben Laden. 

My first reaction was happiness.  Frankly,  I am glad he's dead. 

My next was shame for being happy about another man's death.  After all,  aren't we supposed to forgive?   Matthew 5:43-46 says  "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons 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. "  How could I rejoice in the death of another?

When I was a young, I was practically a pacifist. I  believed that all war and all violence was wrong, unless it was for the purpose of saving lives.  I am still inclined in that direction.  The killing of Ben Laden however certainly qualifies as a just use of force. History will never know how many thousands of lives may have been saved by stopping the heart  of that evil mastermind. I believe it fits Augustine's definition of a just war--unavoidable, necessary, limited in its effect, and for the purpose of saving lives, not taking them. 

As I've grown older though, I realize that there is another reason for the killing of Ben Laden--justice. Evil cries out for closure. 

Forgiveness is easy for easy offenses. But anyone who has personally experienced serious harm done intentionally,  forgiveness is more than letting go a few bad feelings.  We might experience a mild dislike for another, but we  get over it fairly easy when we are young and innocent. We can forgive someone who hurts our feelings easier than someone who kills our child.  Only when we experience real evil do we understand the real need for justice.  The universe is out of kilter. We want God to even the score. Our hearts can never get rest until we do.

Whenever a murderer is executed, reporters interview the family of the victims.  Mercy is the last thing on their minds.    The tens of thousands of people who were the friends and relatives of those who died on 9-11 ached for justice, too.  When Ben Laden was killed,  they believe that justice is fulfilled.  This need for justice is part of what we have inherited in a just and righteous God.

Not until we really experience serious harm do understand serious forgiveness.   To lack justice is like lacking food,  sleep, shelter, or love.  We can give it up,  but is cripples and hurts us. To give up justice is like an amputation of some part of our soul.

Forgiveness is when we voluntarily sacrifice our thirst for justice when harmed.  It does not feel good. There is no instantaneous feeling of a lifted burden. What freedom forgiveness gives us comes only after a grieving that loss of justice.

Don't get me wrong.  I do believe  that forgiveness is  important.  But we must be realistic.  It is the offering a  portion of ours selves--our anger--as a living sacrifice to peace. It is no different from priests who submit to celibacy, or a devout believer who fasts regularly. It is a form of self-denial.  In the end, it frees us from the power of anger,  In the end, we are not happy about it.  But at first, it hurts like fire.

I am glad Ben Laden is dead. This time, God had granted us some temporary, worldly justice. But I am also aware that the next time I might want justice I may have to settle for forgiveness.  I might have give up justice in this lifetime, and that will be hard.  To sacrifice our desire for justic on the altar of forgiveness is part of what it means to follow in the footsteps of Christ.