what i wrote down last night

I felt a quiet satisfaction at the capture of Osama Bin Laden, but the celebrating death in the streets tore me apart. On facebook this morning I read something my friend Amy posted, a quote from J.R.R. Tolkein on the death of Hitler that bears repeating:

"We were supposed to have reached a stage of civilization in which it might still be necessary to execute a criminal, but not to gloat, or to hang his wife and child by him while the orc-crowd hooted."

It felt so reassuring that other people condemned the shouting and partying in the street. Celebrating an execution is a glorification of hate. Justice is quiet and blind and not boastful.

Anyway, last night, I felt really upset. So I wrote down a little prayer.

"I don't pray for mercy on Bin Laden's soul (final justice belongs to someone who knows his heart, dark as it may be for whatever reason, better than I), but I pray for all hearts that are full of hatred to know love and goodness, and if I can, Lord, let me help bring it to them. Let me help teach that Thy way is love and forgiveness instead of destruction. But if I can't change them at least let me build, let me be an instrument of peace, and never let the cruel act of another rob me of my humanity."