May 1, 2011 was a day in which the United States and the world received great news:
Osama bin Laden had met his maker. He also learned that 70 virgins were not waiting for him, neither were 70 trashy prostitutes, only hellfire and gnashing of teeth. This was a great announcement. I for one congratulate the Navy SEALs as well as the CIA team for getting the job done in Pakistan. I also congratulate President Obama for signing the order to strike. What happened was not the end of the war, but a major step in the right direction.
What then should have been a night of great celebration for me turned into a night of groaning when some Christians on Twitter started issuing the following verse, Ezekiel 33:11: "As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of wicked people." (also, it should be noted that Michael Moore was one of the many people tweeting this, so take that for what it's worth.)
66 years ago on this very day, the death of Adolf Hitler was announced. did our parents and grandparents start a steady stream of grieving for the death of this lunatic? I dare say they did not.
Do not get me wrong. It is indeed sad when any person dies without Jesus in their heart. But to heap proverbial ashes upon our heads because he is dead is really, REALLY being a Christian Killjoy.
What many of the people with this mindset miss is this: bin Laden did not receive mercy. He received JUSTICE. Many of these same people decry the poverty of the world, act like anyone with some affluence is evil. And if we dare celebrate the death of a madman, how dare we?
Read Romans 9. It goes into some detail of how God used Pharoah to reveal His plan for His people Israel. Do we mourn Pharoah? I think not. Read First and Second Kings. God used people to wipe out entire families because one king led the nation to sin. Were the brothers and sons of the kings of Israel responsible for this? No, but the law of God demanded justice and payment for sin.
Now, everyone has the payment for sin: it is Jesus, through His death and resurrection. The news is not only for the people of Israel like in the days of old, but for everyone. Yes, bin Laden had the opportunity to accept this as well, but he had rejected it. He will burn in a hell prepared for the devil and his angels, along with Hitler, and he deserves it.
Someone found this quote from Mark Twain:
"I do not wish anyone dead but there are some obituaries I do not mind reading..."
That said, don't trample on the joy of others when the event is worth celebrating. We who celebrate this are leading in generosity, helping the poor and needy, those facing disaster, and those in need of a Savior. Quit preaching your sermons to the church and try to reach some of these people you say you are concerned about. Quit complaining about the church and be the church.
Goodness, I had to get that off my chest. Some people...
1 comment:
On behalf of someone that may have been a bit of a Christian killjoy, thanks for your perspective and may I offer a bit of a reason for my thoughts.
There are those who believe that all wars, death penalty, etc are immoral. I am not one of them, not by a long shot. I fully support God exercising his justice on Osama Bin Laden. He definitely deserved all that was brought upon him and obviously it provided personal satisfaction that it was American soldiers who God allowed to dish it out. We are on the same boat there.
My concern is that for myself and most of the people I know, the temptation that we face most readily is the one to ignore grace, not the one to ignore justice. Every time I read a story about it, I find myself agreeing with the commenters who complain about how humanely his body was treated and how we went out of our way to do things as close to the Islamic way as possible. But is that really a concern for justice or for revenge?
That is and was my temptation, and probably was so for most of those around me, so my intent with my writing was to provide a counteractive to those temptations - or at the very least give us a reason to pause and think about how we should respond in light of the whole of Scripture.
You will find proof texts to support just about every emotional response to this event. I believe that is intentional. All of those are acceptable visceral reactions, but they are not always acceptable reasoned responses.
The government and our military has been ordained by God to exercise the sword and punish wrong doers, but criminal and in war. For that, I am thankful. The church and the individual Christian has been ordained by God to speak the truth, but to do so in love, showing grace and forgiveness to those around us, extending and applying the Gospel in every situation. For that, I am humbled.
I don't think it is an either/or in our response. I believe it is a both/and. But I do believe that everyone is faced with the temptation to go heavily one way or the other. Hopefully, all of us working together to explore and express the full character of Christ will balance out that picture and keep each of us as individuals from going too far on one side.
Thanks again for your thoughts on the subject and for reminding us about the need to remember God's justice.
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