Osama bin Laden

Everyone remembers where they were when they heard that terrorists had hijacked four airplanes and were using them as weapons. I remember a friend telling me after leaving Algebra 2 at 10:05. I told him someone was messing with him when he told me that terrorists had rammed airplanes in the World Trade Center. I told him no one was dumb enough to attack the United States. Then I walked into my US History class to see a television showing a single smoking tower (the other had just fallen). I remember hearing Peter Jennings explain terrorists had rammed airplanes into the WTC and the Pentagon. I remember them showing a split screen, and saying these were the first images of the damage to the Pentagon. I remember them saying a fourth plane was overtaken by the hostages and downed in PA. I remember looking out the window, trying to see if there were more planes out there headed for us. I remember and eerily empty sky, no clouds and no planes (unusual considering our proximity to an airport). I remember days later when Pres. Bush made an announcement that Stealth Bombers had bombed a country I had never heard of before, and walking into that same US History class to try to find Afghanistan on a globe.

Yesterday morning, I awoke early and pulled up twitter on an iPhone. I saw tweets that made no sense, something about Pres. Obama making a speech and people staying up late to celebrate. I turned my TV on to Fox news, who had the headline "UBL killed in Pakistan." Fox has always transliterated "Osama" as "Usama." I knew instantly was "UBL" stood for. I knew bin Laden was dead.

I must say, this was emotional for me. I never thought I'd live to see the day. I thought he'd die of old age. My phone rang, a friend headed to work. He was calling to tell me what I just learned. I watched TV as I talked to him. I shed a tear when they showed the Air Force Academy breaking out into singing the National Anthem.

I'm not the patriot that I used to be. As my loyalty to God increases, my loyalty to a country decreases. But, something within me was lifted up. Not that a man was dead. Not that I hated him. But that justice for something so evil was taken care of. I heard jokes about Jack Bauer and John McClain (speficically, "Yippie-kay-aye bin Laden").

Then I saw this quote.

Matthew 5:43-45
"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven."
NIV

I knew I'd see that quote. Christians celebrating death is not what Jesus wanted. But I don't think using this passage as a weapon was what he wanted either. You also have to consider this (and many other passages on God's judgement and justice).

Romans 13:3-4
"For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer."
NIV

Navy Seals where that sword, an agent of God's wrath on bin Laden. But there is a balance to this. Though I am glad that justice is done, I bore no ill will toward the man. The opposite, actually. I could not have done it. My love, for this man, my enemy, would have prevented me. Being a Christian, I look to bin Laden and must recognize that he was deserving of hell, and by pulling the trigger I would have sent him to hell. I am not willing to send him there. Because I am also deserving of hell, but Jesus extended his grace to me.

I can't help but think this whole time about bin Laden. One thing that cannot be denied is that he was a charismatic leader and recruiter. People flocked to him. What if, instead of being an agent of hate, he would have been an agent of love? What if, instead of being an ambassador of descruction, he would have been an ambassador of restoration? What if, instead of being a man of death, he would have been a man of life? What if, instead of being a terrorist, he would have been a missionary? What if, instead of being a weapon of Satan, he would have been a tool of God? What if, instead of creating suicide bombers, he would have made disciples of Jesus?

It is strange to think about how this world could have changed if someone had reached Osama bin Laden for Jesus. I am grieved that he went to hell. I grieve for him, as well as for the man that he could have been in Christ Jesus, as a new creation as I am. I know that though God is willing and able to punish him for his sins, that God was also willing to forgive and cleanse him of those same sins. God gifted bin Laden to draw people to himself. If he would have used that ability to draw people to the cross, imagine how our world would be.

So I pause, and though a small part of be celebrates justice, it is not as big as the part of me that grieves the what if's.