Originally posted May 3, 2011, at The Lutheran Zephyr. Republished with permission of the author.
Maybe I just need a few more jingoistic friends.
On Facebook and Twitter I’m surrounded by many friends who, almost immediately upon hearing the news of Osama bin Laden’s death, seemed conflicted by the celebrations erupting around the country and online.
Bible verses about desiring not the death but conversion of the wicked were shared (including Ezekiel 33:11), and a quote wrongly attributed to Martin Luther King Jr. made the rounds.
Links, from personal blogs and from the Huffington Post, chided Americans for celebrating bin Laden’s death.
I don’t believe that most Americans were celebrating bin Laden’s death.
I believe that most of us were celebrating his defeat. As one guest on Monday’s broadcast of “The Diane Rehm Show” commented, the crowds gathering at the White House and Ground Zero were not calling for blood and macabrely reveling in death.
They were celebrating the defeat of an enemy and a victory for our military. They were celebrating our country’s resolve to bring the head of al-Qaida to justice and its successful efforts to do so.
Bring bin Laden in alive and I think the celebrations are no less enthusiastic.
The head of a once-powerful organization that brought terror and death to countless communities across the globe is no longer able to direct or fund campaigns of terror.
Al-Qaida, already weakened, lost its figurehead and most inspirational leader.
Are the wars over?
Does this make amends for the many missteps taken by our nation’s leaders over the past 10 years?
Is al-Qaida forever defeated and our mission accomplished?
No, no, no.
But this is a great symbolic victory that we should not be begrudged to celebrate.
Find a link to Chris Duckworth’s blog The Lutheran Zephyr at Lutheran Blogs.
Yes, another voice of reason!
This is the standard response for all of us when our conscience or others' convict us of wrong-doing. We try to justify ourselves and rationalize away the sin. We dig our heels in and claim that we have a right to our sin, that we should be allowed to sin if we want. Don't begrudge us our sin. Yet God's Law says that when we choose sin, we will die. What effect will the clips of celebrating Americans have on those living in Pakistan, Afghanistan and elsewhere? Will this not only further harden the hearts of our enemies? God will give us up to reap the benefits of what we have sown-- never forget that we trained bin Laden and his men, and his actions were already judgment against the US. Yes, we have executed judgment on him, but we are trapped in the unending cycle of violence. So we can celebrate, but it's hollow, because all too soon, someone else will be celebrating our deaths, even if only as "symbolic victories" against those things we embody.
Yet into this world, God comes into our world as Jesus Christ, and enters into this cycle of violence. Yet, even though Jesus is sinless and should be the top dog in this game, we see him executed, suffering the same judgment rendered against bin Laden. And what judgment does God execute against us for the murder of His only Son? Resurrection, and new life where there was death. God bears our violence and promises new life despite it. This is our exit from that cycle of violence. That we don't need bin Laden's blood to bring closure, or military victories to vindicate us through our state. We have Christ's blood, poured out for us. If we're going to celebrate anything, let's celebrate that. And the best way to celebrate is to reach out to our enemies, treat them as brothers and sisters no matter what they have just done to us. Let them join in with our celebration, and see the world heal, a few people at a time.
hey Peter,
I think it’s absurd to compare your run of the mill sinner’s sin with the likes of a Bin Laden’s sin. The gossiper or thief don’t celebrate Bin Laden’s death because they are trying to rationalize away their sin, or want the right to their sin, or they should be allowed their sin or don’t begrudge them their sin. You don’t have to be without sin to be able to sincerely celebrate justice. None of us can achieve perfection, but that doesn’t mean we can’t speak highly of it. We are all sinners, but that doesn’t mean we can’t speak against sin. And being unjust does not prohibit us from celebrating when justice is seen.
Peter | April 12, 2011 10:07 PM | Reply | Report
I wonder how often we forget that the center of discipleship is dying and rising with Jesus and not our best attempts at doing what Jesus would do.
Frankly Peter I’m surprised to see you come out of your “Christ alone and only” fortress, and step into the realm of instructing the people of the world who are celebrating Bin Laden’s death, that their bad works are unbecoming and might cause angst in countries like Pakistan and Afghanistan. The same countries, by the way, that go berserk and chop off people's heads when someone burns a Quran, or draws a cartoon of their prophet. And isn’t it funny How the U.S. did trained Bin Laden and Al Qaida in order to help the poor Muslims fend off the mighty Russians; and isn’t it even funnier that God is giving us up to reap what we have sown; now those same Muslims are killing the Russians and Americans and the Spaniards and the Brit’s and the Indians and the French and the German and the Italians and the Israelis’ and the Christians and the Jews and Shia and the sunny and themselves and and and…..etc. You make much stronger arguments from behind the reinforced walls of “good works / bad works are all worthless” theology. Why should anyone listen to you when you suggest they change their behavior? It’s not about trying to do what Christ would do, it’s “Christ death alone and only” remember?
PS. I guess there is a whole new “cycle” of violence starting up in Egypt. Churches bombed; Coptic Christians dead. And just like all of the rest of these so called “cycles”, they are not cycles; they are waves of violence emanating from wherever Islam is to where Islam isn’t. Is this what democracy looks like? Answer: Yes. When Muslim countries are given the chance to choose their government, they all have chosen pro-sharia governments like Hamas.
I don't think its absurd at all to compare bin Laden's sin to your "run of the mill sinner". Both are in rebellion against God, and both will get the same death sentence. My statements about us reaping what we have sown are Law-- these are the consequences that will come of our actions. Our ensnarement in the cycle of violence is the application of the Law to our sin. It is for this reason that we need Christ, and it is Him who breaks the cycle of violence, not us.
Without Christ, I don't expect anyone to listen to me about exiting the cycle of violence, nor do I even think it's necessarily possible. That follows from Christ's saving work on the cross.
When I heard of his death, it brought me into a course of deep reflection. I asked, "How could one person generate such hatred. What had happened in his life to cause him to hate and lead others to act out his hate?" I guess I need to read more about him to better understand this. I didn't celebrate his death. Instead, I found myself wondering what kind of man he might have been with influences in his life other than what he'd had. I saw one Muslim man interviewed on television who said that Bin Laden "...was not a real Muslim." I was relieved to hear that viewpoint, and I believe that the vast majority of Muslims ARE peaceful and do not follow the extremists, the jihadists. Praise Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, who taught LOVE and FORGIVENESS ... and who gave His Own Precious Life for Our Salvation. I pray for the Lost Ones to find Jesus Christ.