Heart Still Beats

I recall having a conversation a long time ago with a Christian I hold in some regard. I don't remember what brought it up, but we were talking about the Holocaust, specifically Hitler's role in it. More specifically, I remember the conclusion of that conversation, and it involved this person saying, "Hitler is burning in Hell for what he did."

Let's pause on that note. Now, I vaguely recall being a bit taken aback, at the time, by the forwardness of that statement. What I don't remember is if I felt a positive or negative emotion as a response.

Since then, there have been people in my life, and of course of those of friends and family, that have each acted as a negative presence in some way and degree. In each case, we've eventually seen them get "what's coming to them." That is to say that they've gotten, in our eyes, what they deserved, and if nothing else, what was necessary. And of course, there's always much rejoicing.

I'm rethinking that rejoicing now. True, in many cases, I have been personally wronged by said people, and it's a struggle for me to not get some guilty pleasure out of their comeuppance. But should we ever be happy about someone's misfortunes? Friend or enemy, God wants us to be loving, first and foremost. That includes everything between not being jealous when our friends get blessings we lack, and not being bitter when our enemies prosper. By that same token, I think it also means that we shouldn't be pleased by their misfortunes.

In multiple places in the Bible, we're commanded to pray and care for our enemies. The reasoning given is that it will "heap burning coals on their heads." Sounds downright wrathful, doesn't it? But a little research reveals that that actually is a blessing to them, not an aim to hurt.

An important thing that I've been trying to bear in mind lately is that God handcrafted each person. Such being the case, He knows their pains, daily struggles, and sins better than anyone, and He loves them all the same. We, on the other hand, don't understand all of what they go through, past or present. What we do know is that God's command is to love, as He loves. I think that includes mourning for them in their times of loss, even if we think they don't deserve it. Only God can be the judge of that.