In today's first reading they bring David what they believe to be good news, the son who had betrayed him and was trying to overthrow him is dead. Instead of celebrating David goes into mourning, weeping. Here we see a reflection of the love of God.
It is difficult for us to truly grasp the depth of God's love for each and every human being. Even when one chooses true evil, God continues to love and desire the salvation of that person.
Is it at times necessary to kill a person like Bin Laden in order to stop them? Yes. But should we ever be happy about it or celebrate it? Not if we are truly Christian.
As I write this entry from Florida we have spent the week watching candidates for office, all of who claim to be followers of Jesus, attempting not only to defeat one another but destroy one another. What's wrong with this picture?
Why do they do it? Because it works. We the voters will say we don't like the nasty attack ads, but, in truth, we eat them up. We believe them, and we follow them. They work.
We think of ancient times as barbaric. David in the first reading weeps at the death of his enemy. Can we be that civilized in the 21st century?
