The death of Usama bin Laden

"I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy."

- Jessica Dovey


I think this quote by Jessica Dovey sums up for us the Christian response to the recent announcement of the death of UBL. As a nation, we have grieved over the loss of thousands of our fellow citizens - workers in the World Trade Center and Pentagon, those on the planes, the heroes who did not think about the risk to their own lives as they perished saving other. Like the sentiment shared by Ms. Dovey, we have mourned and continue to "mourn the loss of thousands or precious lives."
 
As I watched the news on Monday, however, I could not avoid the paradox of the joy felt over the death of an enemy - a man who was a personification of evil itself - and wondering how we should respond as followers of Christ.


Jesus says to us in Luke 6:27-36:
27 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.

32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.


I know. Those are words we have heard before, but applied to this situation, seem hard, if not impossible to live by. How do we forgive such evil? How do we pray for someone that many now believe is living out his eternity apart from God?

But here’s the problem I have: If UBL is now in a place of torment, (Hell), how can I rejoice about that? How can any person who considers themselves as forgiven through the blood of Jesus think in their heart that this is a good thing? I can assure you that there is a part of me that wants to join with the crowds in the streets and shout patriotically, out of relief, justice, and mere national pride "USA, USA!"


Ezekiel 18:23 and 33:11 tell us that God doesn’t get any pleasure from the death of the wicked. If God doesn’t delight in the death of those who are evil, how can I? If Jesus, the One who forgives me, commands me to pray for my enemies, how can I refuse Him?


That being said, we also see a consistent testimony throughout Scripture that God is just, and that He commands His people to love justice. And the death of Usama bin Laden is justice. That is certain. I believe that if a man has ordered the death of over 3,000 people, it is proper to say that he no longer deserves to live. Taking his life was just. And at some level I think that all of us who are Americans feel some sort of relief, some sort of satisfaction that, as President Obama said, ” Justice has been done.”


With all of that being said, I think the proper response is to be thankful for our place in God's mercy and to be assured that justice will be done, according to God's Word and will for us. Like Jesus' cry in the garden, we should be resolved to allow God's plan to unfold for us, even in the face of death itself.


And it is not our place to rejoice in the fate of the evil, but to pray for them to be convicted by the truth and to expect what they receive if they don't.


The rejoicing we have seen can be expected.
(Proverbs 11:10)
"When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices; when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy."

But our response must ultimately honor Jesus, the One who died for all who would believe in Him.
(Proverbs 24:17)
"Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice."