Andrew Forrest

What should my reaction be when my enemy is killed?

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, as the leader of ISIS, was my enemy: I am a Westerner and a Christian. If he could have done so, he would have killed me and my family. I am relieved that he is dead.

I am not a pacifist; I think there are times in this world when violence in defense of the good is necessary, because there are some people who are so intent on evil that literally nothing but violence will stop them. Let me also say that although I am not a pacifist, I completely understand why some Christians believe that the Jesus way is absolute non-violence even in the face of evil. I do not come to the same conclusion as these Christians, but I understand their point-of-view, and perhaps I am wrong.

So, what should my reaction be when someone like Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is killed? I think an initial sense of joy makes sense—this was a man who raped and tortured his way across the Middle East and inspired murder around the world, and this man will no longer be able to do these things. But, after an initial surge of joyful relief that a man like this will now face God’s justice, I think sadness should quickly follow. This was a bad man, but he was still a man, and we should be sad that he chose evil and sad that he did not repent before his violent end.

I think the death of an enemy should ultimately make us sad: sad that the world is the way it is, sad that people make the evil choices that they do, and sad that some people will not respond to anything but violence.

So, I am troubled by parts of what President Trump had to say to the nation announcing Mr. al-Baghdadi’s death: I think it was too graphic and triumphalist. It is a good thing that Mr. al-Baghdadi is dead, and it is definitely a victory for the United States. But, I think those same points could be made without remarks on his “crying, whimpering, screaming.” I do not think we should gloat publicly over the death of our enemies, because a sense of restraint is what should make us different from our enemies. Otherwise, where is the line between us and them? We know how ISIS would have behaved had they killed one of our leaders—like demons. We should behave as far from that as possible.

Once we become obsessed with victory over our enemies, we lose any sense of proportion or propriety. This is what hatred of an enemy will always do to us.

An example of what happens when you become obsessed with victory over your enemy is the Washington Post’s original headline announcing Mr. al-Baghdadi’s death. This has since been changed, but this is actually how the headline originally read:

The Washington Post is so obsessed with defeating President Trump that the unnamed headline writer chose to call Mr. al-Baghdadi an “austere religious scholar,” presumably because the announcement of the raid and subsequent death would be a news cycle victory for the President. It is no secret that The Washington Post considers itself an enemy of President Trump.

This post is not about President Trump nor The Washington Post, however: it is about what can easily happen to each of us when defeat of our enemy becomes the most important thing in our lives.

Defeat of an enemy is a good thing, but it is not the ultimate thing. And when you exchange a good thing for the ultimate thing, it warps your soul.

I am taking these thoughts as a challenge to examine my own heart today. What about you?