Was it a celebration?

The weekend started with a wedding.

The wedding of HRH Prince William to Kate Middleton.

TV screens throughout the world beamed pictures of the Royal wedding live.

It was a joyous celebration.

The weekend ended with the capture and subsequent death of the worlds most wanted man. Osama Bin Laden had been responsible for the senseless slaughter of men, women and children, in many parts of the world over many years.

As this news was beamed across the news networks of the world the weekend seemed to end in joyous celebration.

Thousands of people, especially Americans who had seen the horrendous results of this guys strategic terrorism, when 3000 plus people met their deaths in the tragic destruction of two of the worlds tallest skyscrapers, the twin towers in New York, were on the streets immediately, waving flags, shouting wildly their shouts of justice and victory.

I was intrigued at the immediate response to this of many Christians on Twitter and Facebook. Mostly people almost condemning the celebration. Comments such as 'I'm not sure celebrating the death of a tyrant warrants celebration.'

But was it really a celebration?

Was it really?

I am not saying here that the eye for an eye killing of a tyrant is the way forward, or that the decisions of President Obama or the actions of the crack American military were justified. That one is really hard to get ones head around quite frankly.

But when I saw the thousands waving their flags and shouting their words. What I saw was the outpouring of deep hurts. The cry of a lost society. These people had to endure seeing young vibrant citizens have to jump from the top of unbelievably high skyscrapers to their deaths. They had to endure the senseless loss of loved ones, work colleagues, fellow countrymen. They had seen brave firemen, policemen, even clergy lose their lives as they bravely fought for the lives of people who were trapped.

I don't think the mass ranks of people seemingly celebrating really was that at all.

It was interesting to note that the following morning to the capture and death of bin Laden, outside the perimeters of ground zero in New York. There really wasn't a celebratory scene. People could be seen reflecting. An almost flaccid scene of sombre contemplation.

I think it was an outpouring of deep hurt.

A demonstration that hurts were coming to the surface. Hurts were rising from the dark places in the soul out into the light.

When hurts come into the light that is when healing and transformation can take place.

As I watched the flag waving scenes, it reminded me that the world is crying out for healing. The world is crying out for transformation. The world is crying out for restoration.

The world quite frankly is crying out for a saviour.

It reminded me that those of us who say we know Jesus and live out Christianity in the world are the ones who have the means to bring these things to meet the cry of a broken society.

So I woke this morning with the words 'I have overcome the world,' inexplicably ringing in my mind and my heart. I want to walk in a world that has been overcome. I want to be a peace maker. I want to change the world. I want to be an imparter of healing of restoration and transformation.

The immediate reaction to the capture and death of Osama Bin Laden seemed at first glance to be celebratory.

But was it?

Or was it the cry of a broken people, a hurting people who desperately are searching for healing?

Whatever your views there is one thing that remains clear?

Us Christians, as we join Jesus Christ in our Nations, our Cities, wherever we are, are really the hope of the Nations.

The hope of peace.

The hope of healing.

The hope of transformation.

So We go into the world today knowing that there isn't a second to waste.

Wherever you are, whatever you are doing, whoever you encounter, be an overcomer, a peacemaker, a healer, a transformation bringer.

Try to look beyond the issues of the church today. Look to what you can do in your everyday circumstances.

It could change the world.