Love Your Enemies: Did She Take It Too Far?

Reports just surfaced that Boston bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev has been buried in Doswell, Virginia, after numerous cemeteries declined to offer his body a final resting place.

Martha Mullen, a seminary graduate who works in mental health, heard over the radio that officials could not find a cemetery willing to accept Tsarnaev's body. She was moved by the story, recalling Jesus' command to Christians:

"Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you" - Matthew 5:44

Mullen contacted officials in Richmond and Massachusetts and quickly made arrangements to have Tsarnaev buried in nearby Doswell, where she facilitated the funeral.

After reading this news on the Washington Post, I have to admit that I was stunned for a few reasons:

Doswell is close to home, about 2 hours away
Why should my home state intern the body of a man who committed such horrors?
How could Mullen be so compassionate?
Why am I not that compassionate?

I have to admit, I am humbled and broken by this story. Here is a woman who, prior to hearing a story on the radio, had no direct involvement with the suspect, but took pity on him and coordinated the details for his burial.

What motivated her to do this?

She told the press simply that Christ commands us to love our enemies.

Wow.

What love is this? Love that cares so deeply for the needs of others that it lays aside all personal ambition and emotion. Love that looks beyond the media and simply chooses to obey the calling of a Mighty God. Love that forgives, and forgets.

You, Martha Mullen, are an inspiration. My thoughts, and my thanks, are with you tonight.

Photo credit: Laris Karklis/The Washington Post

Comments

4 Traits of Highly-Engaging Social Media Posts

Digital media consumption is at an all-time high. Millenials no longer rely on traditional and mainstream media producers for the latest news and information. Social media is literally revolutionizing the way people do research and engage with the world. When consumers are formulating opinions about a brand, they rely on peer-to-peer reviews more than high-budget advertising. And they can go directly to social media to get a feel for a brand's true colors before investing in its products or services. With so much information competing for attention on social media, how can you develop a keen strategy for reaching consumers with relevant content? Here are 4 tips: Be succinct. You have exactly 2 seconds to engage your audience. Make your point and make it fast. Save the fine print and flowery details for later. Use imagery. Social media posts with photos capture more engagement than posts without pictures. Your photos should be relevant to your content, and prefe...

First World Problems

Matthew 6:25-27, 31-34 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life ? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Last week I was driving to work, sitting in traffic on US 29, when a lady going 50-60 mp...

I want to be a butterfly

December 19, 2014 Dear Julia, Earlier this week, you and I had a conversation that I’ll never forget. You’re 4-and-a-half (although I feel like I just brought you home from the hospital… I swear I only blinked). You’re so full of life. Your energy and enthusiasm make me smile every day! We needed groceries. Badly. So we hopped in the car and drove to Sam’s Club. It was one of those evenings when I didn’t have much time after work to make dinner, so we opted for pizza at Sam’s. After ordering a few slices of pepperoni pizza (you may only weigh 31 pounds, but you can put away an entire slice of Sam’s pizza by yourself), I sat down across from you and began cutting your pizza into little bite-size pieces. You asked me how my day at work went. By the way, that’s not typical for a preschooler. Most 4-year-olds are only interested in Dora the Explorer. Not you. You like to ask questions. You’re a relationship builder. You care about people’s thoughts and ideas, and yo...

ClaireMolineaux.com

Search This Blog