Goodbye to Saddam Hussein

Saddam is gone. Amidst all the news coverage, I could not help but be pulled into the whole thing. Every major news paper and website was plastered with pictures of Saddam, a noose, men in black hoods, and cheering mobs. Two images struck me.

Reports say that after an initial struggle, Saddam went calmly to his death. He clutched the Koran as the noose was fitted and he prepared his own heart. I found myself wondering how one could approach such a situation with tranquility. “We are ruled by what we believe, whether it’s true or not,” someone once wrote.

Along with images of Saddam’s death, there were also pictures of applauding and parading people, celebrating the death of a dictator. Who knows how long these parties lasted into the night and weekend. As I imagined it all, I found myself wondering how many people prayed for Saddam’s heart as the rope was being tied.

Now, I don’t claim to know what it was like living under such a tyrant. None of my family members were murdered or tortured at his command. In those last moments though, amidst cheering crowds across the world, a sinful man was about to enter the rest of eternity. However much Saddam deserves his punishment, people must weigh the joys of justice with the somberness of a soul meeting God.

In a world striving for progress, a generation of Christians struggle to live with an eternal perspective. “We are ruled by what we believe, whether it is true or not.” I pray in those last moments that Saddam believed what is true.

(Picture taken from Foxnews.com)