On the Death of Osama Bin Laden

Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice, or the Lord will see and disapprove and turn his wrath away from him. Proverbs 24:17-18 (NIV)

I presided over two funeral services following the destruction of the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001 – two Christian men, loving fathers, devoted husbands and members of First Presbyterian Church of Dunellen who died in the attack. By God’s grace, another member of our church escaped the buildings before they collapsed. The pain of that terrible day still resonates deep within my soul.

And yet, I find myself strangely torn since the President announced last night that Osama Bin Laden is dead. I'm cautioned by the Word of God which warns us not to gloat when an enemy falls - even an enemy as evil as Osama Bin Laden.

On the one hand, I feel great relief. Justice has been done. A man who committed terrible atrocities against my friends, my nation, and even against humanity, has finally met his end.

I feel gratitude to the soldiers who risked their own lives to carry track Bin Laden and bring him down. For them, this was undoubtedly the culmination of years of training and preparation, and I admire the dedication and skill of these heroes. And, I appreciate President Obama for his leadership in this quest, and his appropriately somber speech last night announcing the news.

Of course there is worry. Who knows what retaliation the supporters of Al Qaeda are planning against Americans? The war is not over, and our nation’s youth are still placing their lives on the line on battlefields around the world.

But most surprisingly, I find myself wrestling with a sense of grief. I was, frankly, offended by Geraldo Rivera’s fist pumping and whooping as he announced the news. I’m disturbed by images of people singing “Hey hey, goodbye” in the streets. I’m glad that Bin Laden is no longer a threat. I’m pleased that justice has been done. But... I can’t bring myself to rejoice at the violent end of any human life – not even Osama Bin Laden’s.

Every human being is created in the image of God, and in every one of us that image is warped. Still, the Bible tells us that “[God] does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.” 2 Peter 3:9 (NLT) So, while God himself may have been guiding and protecting the Navy Seals who went into Pakistan to eliminate Bin Laden last night, I also wonder if God was weeping as they pulled the trigger and launched the bullet that ended his life.

I hope that as time goes on we will feel pride, relief, even gratitude that Osama Bin Laden is dead. But rather than gloat, let’s share God’s grief and dedicate ourselves to overcoming evil by doing good. (Romans 12:21)  Remember, "Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Ephesians 6:12 (NIV) 

Our salvation does not come through bullets or bombs, but only through the grace of Jesus Christ, who gave his own life so that we might live. Our hope is in Jesus Christ, who defeated the power of death by rising from the grave. "Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 15:57 (NIV) 

May the peace of God be with you.

May 2, 2011