Last night John Allen Muhammad, the murderous sniper who held the Washington D.C. area hostage in a state of terror in 2002 was executed in the state of Virginia. What should we feel at the moment of Muhammad’s execution? Should we feel relieved? Satisfied? Like justice was served? Sad? Angry? Unsatisfied?
There probably isn’t an emotion in such a tragic situation that we should feel, but I find myself feeling little satisfaction from Muhammad’s death last night. Reading the comments from family members of the victims, and attorneys on both sides of the case the best that can be said is that for most the end was simply a relief. It was a relief from having to constantly relive the horrific details of unabashed evil randomly carving up the lives of so many. It was relief from having to be reminded of their loss by every news story and court appearance. But ultimately, even this relief will never fill the void left by such a tragedy.
As Christians how should we feel about such an execution? Was it just? Yes, I believe it was. Was it necessary? That is debatable, based on your view of the death penalty. Should we be relieved? I don’t think so. I think mainly we should be sad. We should be sad that our sinfulness can lead us to places as dark as John Allen Muhammad’s did. We should be sad that we are ever in a position to decide whether someone lives or dies. We should be sad that there is nothing we can do in our powers to heal such wounds.
More importantly, though, we should be hopeful. God is not ignorant of this evil, nor of the prevalent and pervasive evil throughout our world. God is not turning a blind eye to human trafficking, child abuse, genocide, systemic evil, or economic imbalance and injustice. God is not merely idling away his time unaware of the havoc evil is reeking throughout his creation. God is aware, and God is working to bring redemption to his broken creation and to offer an answer to the evil of this world.
This week I am spending time in Revelation 21 with the beautiful vision of the New Heaven and the New Earth. This passage is exactly what we need each day as we witness the violence of our world. We need to remember that God is far more dissatisfied with the realities of the world than we ever can be. We need to remember that God is going to bring about a cleansing that will replace all the evil in this world with his perfect order and light. There is a day coming when there will be no more darkness, no more pain, and no more tears. So while we are sad, frustrated, relieved, or fearful today, let us instead be filled with hope and longing for our God who is not going to let evil have the final word.
November 11, 2009 at 1:24 pm
I appreciate your comments and a place to discuss this and the emotion it might bring. I happened to stumble upon Larry King last night as he had his expert panel discussing the execution about to take place. There was a live feed of video in one corner and a police officer talking about how he would like to be the executioner given the chance. He went so far as to say that John Allen Muhammad would be meeting the devil in hell that night. And I just felt an overwhelming sense of saddness….not because I didn’t think Muhammad shouldn’t be punished but rather at the thought of his going to hell. I wondered if Muhammad was being robbed of a chance at redemption? Would sitting in jail for the next 50+ years allow him time to reflect on his life and find grace? Or would he never find forgiveness regardless? The more that I grow closer to Christ, the more I find that compassion, grace and forgiveness are everyday concepts that I have to live out.
If you would have asked me in my 20′s if this guy deserved to die I would have said yes, but now I am not sure. If just didn’t feel like the right response despite the horrific extent of his crimes. I guess I am glad I am not the one to have to decide. It was so sad for me to watch that I had to turn the channel.
November 11, 2009 at 2:37 pm
Bethany,
My desire to carry out justice in an ultimate manner has certainly diminished over the years as well. They would certainly never put me on a jury in a capital case because I could not cast a vote to end someone’s life, my belief in atonement is simply to strong for that. It is certainly hard to love your enemies when you kill them.
November 11, 2009 at 2:30 pm
Sad?
Don’t you think that we should follow Brian McLaren’s example and celebrate special Muslim occassions with Muslim brothers? If Ramadan, a celebration of the giving of the Qur’an, among other things, can be celebrated alongside Muslims, why not celebrate a post-Jihad wedding day homegoing celebration of a martyr? Wouldn’t that be a nice show of respect, solidarity and peace?
Since John Allen Muhammad was a Muslim on a three phase Jihad (Lee Boyd Malvo’s description), for which he was convicted of terrorism and then executed, should we not celebrate for, and with, this Muslim brother as he has, now, reached his great eternal reward? Martyrdom is a great honor to Muslims and believed to be greatly rewarded by Allah.
“I feel the martyr is lucky because the angels usher him to his wedding in heaven. I feel the earth moves under the occupiers’ feet… There is no doubt that a child [martyr] suggests that the new generation will carry on the mission with determination. The younger the martyr – the greater and the more I respect him… They [mothers of martyrs] willingly sacrifice their offspring for the sake of freedom. It is a great display of the power of belief. The mother is participating in the great reward of the Jihad to liberate Al-Aqsa… I talked to a young man… [who] said: ‘… I want to marry the black-eyed [beautiful] women of heaven.’ The next day he became a martyr. I am sure his mother was filled with joy about his heavenly marriage. Such a son must have such a mother.” — Mufti Sheikh Ikrimeh Sabri
Here is a list and descriptions of some of the exhibits from the trial:
Exhibit 65-006: A self-portrait of Malvo in the cross hairs of a gun scope shouting, “ALLAH AKBAR!” The word “SALAAM” scrawled vertically. A poem: “Many more will have to suffer. Many more will have to die. Don’t ask me why.”
Exhibit 65-013: The word “INSHALLAH” above a portrait glorifying “Muammar Kaddafi” as “The Liberator” dressed in full military regalia.
Exhibit 65-016: A portrait of Saddam Hussein with the words “INSHALLAH” and “The Protector,” surrounded by rockets labeled “chem” and “nuk” (sic).
Exhibit 65-043: Father and son portrait of Malvo and Muhammad. “We will kill them all. Jihad.”
Exhibit 65-056: A self-portrait of Malvo as sniper, lying in wait, with his rifle. “JIHAD” written in bold letters.
Exhibit 65-057: A drawing of the Twin Towers burning with a plane flying toward the buildings. Captions: “JIHAD ISLAM UNITE RISE!” along with “America did this” and “You were warned.” Portrait of Malvo as sniper labeled “Believer” and portrait of Osama bin Laden labeled “prophet.” A poem: “Our minarets are our bayonets, Our mosques are our baracks (sic), Our believers are our soldiers.” The American flag and the Star of David drawn in cross hairs.
Exhibit 65-067: A suicide bomber labeled “Hamas” walking into a McDonald’s restaurant. Another drawing of the Twin Towers burning captioned: “85 percent chance Zionists did this.” More scrawls: “ALLAH AKBAR,” “JIHAD” and “Islam will explode.”
Exhibit 65-103: A lion accompanies chapter and verse from the Koran (“Sura 2:190″): “Fight in the cause of Allah those who fight you and slay them wherever ye catch them.”
Exhibit 65-109: Portrait of Osama bin Laden, captioned “Servant of Allah.”
Exhibit 65-117: The White House drawn in cross hairs, surrounded by missiles, with a warning: “Sep. 11 we will ensure will look like a picnic to you” and “you will bleed to death little by little.”
Exhibit 65-133: Reference to “Islamic counter attack force . . . ICAF.”
Exhibit 65-114: Self-portrait of Malvo as sniper. Rant says “they all died and they all deserved it.”
Exhibit 65-101: Malvo’s thought for the day: “Islam the only true guidance, the way of peace.”
November 11, 2009 at 2:35 pm
Your comments seems a bit of a non-sequitor rant Paul. I know of the McLaren comments you are talking about, which really aren’t related to this subject at all, but I am not aware I have added any comment to them. I would be happy to offer thoughts on them, but this post has nothing to do what you are talking about.
November 11, 2009 at 3:54 pm
You asked: What should we feel at the moment of Muhammad’s execution? Should we feel relieved? Satisfied? Like justice was served? Sad? Angry? Unsatisfied?
Then, you answered: I think mainly we should be sad.
My post goes directly to the question of proper emotion related to the execution of John Allen Muhhamad and to your stated conclusion.
The post, in the spirit of Brian McLaren’s choice to observe Ramadan with Muslim brothers and to thereby learn from his Muslim kin, merely questions your conclusion that we should be sad when, in fact, in the Muslim community a celebration occurs and great honor is given at the martyrdom of a Jihad warrior.
Should we learn from our Muslim brothers, or not?
November 11, 2009 at 4:00 pm
Can we learn from Muslims, sure, we can learn from anybody. Should our view on the execution be shaped by anyone other than Christ, no. Once again, nothing I said was related to McLaren or his comments whatsoever. Nor have I made any comments supporting or questioning what McLaren said. If I was making a connection or comment, I would make it intentionally clear.
November 11, 2009 at 4:07 pm
If our view of the execution should not be shaped by anyone other than Christ, then what exactly are we going to learn from “our Muslim brothers”?
November 11, 2009 at 4:35 pm
We can learn from any other human being, good or bad about all sorts of things. But eternal matters we learn from Christ. Muslim culture has many wonderful things about it, but ultimately, I hope this goes without saying, it is lacking in what is most important, Christ. Regardless, nothing in my post had anything to do with learning from Muslims. If John Allen Muhammad was a Buddhist, Atheist or failed Christian, the questions would be exactly the same as to how we should respond to his death.
November 11, 2009 at 5:16 pm
How can executing another human being be considered just from the perspective of a follower of Jesus?
November 11, 2009 at 9:37 pm
Biblical ideas of justice certainly demonstrate concepts such as an eye for an eye. In a strictly just sense, this was just. The beauty of Christ however is that God is not simply just, but also merciful and gracious. As Christians we look beyond simple justice, however, to living lives where grace is overtakes even justice.
November 12, 2009 at 9:28 am
Justice is always required and is never overtaken by grace. If so, there would have been no reason for Christ to die on the cross. God could have merely extended grace that overtook justice, but He did not. In view of God’s justice, Christ paid the penalty for our sin at the cross.
November 12, 2009 at 9:30 am
Eye for and eye fits in the understanding of the Kingdom of Jesus?
Nope.
Matt 5 is pretty clear.
November 12, 2009 at 9:48 am
True enough, Christ fulfilled the need for justice on behalf of our sins and thus why his grace has extended beyond justice to something even more beautiful. So yes, in the kingdom of God we celebrate not only justice – which is clearly something the kingdom is concerned about – but also our ability to go beyond justice and also extend mercy and grace.
November 12, 2009 at 12:00 pm
Hey Maggie,
I was not addressing the “eye for an eye” aspect of justice. Iwas addressing the statement made that “grace overtakes justice”. It does not. God has always demanded justice and still demands justice. Justice will be a part of His Kingdom.
Ac 17:31
For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.”
Ro 3:25
God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished–
Ro 3:26
he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
Re 19:11
I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war.