Why I Cannot Be Happy

Don’t rejoice when your enemies fall; don’t be happy when they stumble. For the LORD will be displeased with you and will turn his anger away from them – Prov. 24:17-18

When I read about the death of Amy Winehouse, and my first thoughts were, “She was so young.” My next thoughts were, “She died at twenty-seven? So did Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin and Kurt Cobain. I hope this is just a tragic coincidence.”

As the postings about her death circulated the internet, I was a bit dismayed to read the comments from a variety of people. Some expressed sadness, while others replied, “Who cares?” and “Why does this affect me?” I’m sure others felt she had it coming since she was known for her substance abuse. After reading these comments, I felt confused and hurt at the callousness of some people—even those who say they are Christians.

I found myself confused and hurt in the same way when O.J. Simpson was running from the police on the highways of Southern California. It wasn’t fun to watch him evade capture, and I didn’t hope he “get what he had coming to him.”  I didn’t, and still don’t, have enough knowledge of his situation to make a judgment.

The same is true for Casey Anthony. Many people are so absolutely sure of her guilt, they walk around mad that she got off. Would they feel better if Casey got the electric chair? Would they sleep better at night knowing justice was served? Are they so good at being judge and jury that they can condemn without knowing all the evidence? Continue Reading