Osama bin Laden
Doug Mills/The New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/02/world/asia/osama-bin-laden-is-killed.html?hp)
No, I do not celebrate today. Call me unpatriotic, undignified, insensitive, whatever you want. Call me a “treehugging bleeding heart liberal” if you so desire. I have been called much worse. Through thick and thin, I can tell you that I do not celebrate today.
Now, do not say that I do not care about the more than 3,000 people who died and more than 6,000 who were injured on 9/11. Don’t you dare say that I don’t care about the hundreds of firefights, dozens of police officers, and the thousands of soldiers who died in the wake of this despicable tragedy. Don’t you dare try to construe for a moment my words to say that I am indifferent toward these actions. They deserve nothing but strong words and strict, utter condemnation. They were evil. There is no other word for them.
I don’t celebrate because I cannot reconcile that with the beliefs I hold about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I do not rejoice in the face of death and destruction, no matter whose death it is. I cannot make an exception because of emotion and nationalist fervor. I trust in the hand of God to bring about his new creation, his new world in which there is no longer war, killing, revenge, death, or violence. I long for a world when that is no longer necessary. What was announced yesterday did not bring us closer to that world, so I have no cause to celebrate.
It is easy to pass judgment on Osama bin Laden, isn’t it? (Good-bye, those of you who think you know what I’m going to say next and just quit reading,) It is more difficult to reflect on ourselves. Clearly, what he has done was evil, wrong, and unjust. As I walked back to my dorm room last night, pro-American slogans (some quite vulgar, actually) had already been chalked over all of the sidewalks. Facebook was covered with celebratory remarks and chants of “USA! USA! USA!”
Forgive me if I thought I lived on a Christian campus where we don’t strip people of the image of God which is their birthright. Forgive me if I thought I lived among Christians who understood that we owe our allegiance to a “commonwealth of heaven,” as St. Paul writes. Forgive me if I hesitate in the face of the same American, nationalist fever that led the people of this nation to acquiesce to the demands of the last administration in the name of “safety and security.”
On the one hand, Americans need to be careful that they do not create a climate for another PATRIOT Act or War in Iraq. They must guard themselves against the corporate emotional high that many mistakenly perceive as “unity.” If it is unity, how sad is it that this country can only unify over the death of another human being and not around the disasters that killed over 300 of its citizens last week.
On the other hand, we need to be careful as Christians, too. We need to be careful if we are to call ourselves Americans to not dedicate ourselves to American gods and willingly and joyfully sacrifice ourselves on the altar of nationalism. We cannot forget to lament in the face of a war that goes ever onward and has no end in sight. We cannot cease to weep that the United States, other nations, and coalitions of this world will still send young men and women to die today and tomorrow for a peace they cannot attain. We cannot sit down and say that the work of justice is finished this day.
I bring to mind the words of Dr. James Strange that I posted yesterday in an oddly timely manner. The passage he was preaching on says a lot to us in this hour. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said that
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, ‘Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven.”
As Christians, we have to take passages like this seriously. We do not get to pick which ones we would like to follow and which we would like to ignore in the face of national victory. We are not a people of retaliation, bloodlust, and revenge. We are called to be children of God, to be made in his likeness. And what does Scripture say about God’s reaction? I also recall the prophet Ezekiel:
As I live, says the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from their ways and live.
So I do not celebrate today. I believe that I mourn with God the death of one of his sons who became so distorted and disfigured that he purported and enacted deeds of great violence and profound evil. I mourn the reality of the war to come and the thousands more who will die in just the next few years. It is not fair, it is not just —
— and it won’t always be this way.
I believe that a day is coming when everything will be put to rights. I believe in the Incarnation, the beginning of this grand, sweeping movement of God coming to redeem the world. I believe in the Atonement for the forgiveness of sins and the Resurrection that shows that we will have life again. I believe in the new heavens and new earth when
the home of God is among mortals.
He will dwell with them;
they will be his peoples,
and God himself will be with them;
he will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Death will be no more;
mourning and crying and pain will be no more,
for the first things have passed away.
But today is not that day. That day, when all is complete, is still coming.
So, I do not celebrate the death of one man, but I hope for the redemption of all mankind. I yearn for the day when every man, woman, and child will be made new and we all gather around the Tree of Life again. I yearn for the day when the New Jerusalem is not a sight of conflict, dissonance, and violence. I yearn for the day when killing is no longer the definition of justice. I yearn for the day when heaven crashes into earth.
Posted on 2 May 2011, in Current Events and tagged Death, Ezekiel, Injustice, Jesus, Justice, Osama bin Laden, Pakistan, Peace, Sermon on the Mount, Terror, United States, Violence, War. Bookmark the permalink. 7 Comments.
this post puts words to many of my thoughts in the past 12 hours.
I agree everything that you have written. The one thing that many people have missed the point on with all the celebrations is this: I do not believe that they are celebrating the death of one man, but more so celebrating because we are all proud to be Americans on this day.
Osama bin Laden has been a threat to the United States for a very long time. He has killed thousands of people who did not deserve to die. As you may know, he has also been linked to the 9/11 attacks and I fully believe he was one of the main masterminds behind the coordinated attacks. He was also behind the U.S. Embassy bombings of 1998 in Kenya.
Your right that we should not celebrate his death, but I feel like many people are relieved and hopefully will find some sort of closure since 9/11. Osama bin Laden was definitely an evil man and I feel like justice has finally been served. This celebration is more about our country and patriotism to the United States of America. One big headache is gone and off the map after about 10 years of hiding. This is all about American’s freedom, it is about unity with “one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”
I agree with Mark. I think people are more celebrating some accomplishment in hopefully moving to a safer world and maybe some sense of their family members and/or friends not having fought for naught.
The whole situation of Jihad being out there is sad especially when these same people claim to love peace. I do not like war or that people have to go to war. In fact, personally, I would rather we do more in our own country to protect our land and people from outside forces that are ruining our country (for instance Mexican drug cartels). And I know the verses you cite about loving your enemies, etc. I also know God would prefer peace over war or death. But I’m sure that was the case also in the OT when He, God, actually sent men to war. Yes, I know this is a new world, and we have the NT, but that doesn’t yet change the depravity of the world nor negate what He did or said in the OT. God loved the people He put to death for not following His commands, He did not like it but He did it. Unfortunately, no matter how hard we try, we will live in a depraved world with war, evil, etc., until He comes again. Jesus himself said “I did not come to bring peace but a sword”. That sword alone has caused discord among people and He knew that would happen. These extremists see that as a threat on “their god, and their way” and have declared Jihad on Christians. Unfortunately, that keeps the war going and I just don’t see anything, even in the NT, that says do not defend yourselves.
I know this is a bit jumbled but there are too many thoughts going through my head and I’m not great at articulating them, but there it is!
http://stepupliving.blogspot.com/2011/05/why-i-dont-cheer-bin-ladens-death.html?spref=fb
I thought the comments were more interesting than the article on this one. Just food for thought. I don’t think we should be judging why people are celebrating. Many of the interviews I saw the people actually said they do not celebrate his death but that hopefully it’s a step toward a safer world. No, it’s not over, there will be outbreaks of attacks from the extremists, but it’s a step.
(To the first two comments first)
I think the assumption that the motivation behind the rabid celebration that I witnessed was in the name of safety and security is either naive on their part or incorrect on yours. Like you said, this doesn’t make the world safer. The war continues. There will still be suffering at the hands of terrorists and armies alike. People will still be dying. That’s the tragic, lamentable, and visceral reality. Second, when was the last time you saw caravans speeding through DC with large, billowing American flags in the name of safety? When was the last time the repeated slogans about rotting in hell have been about security? I think you’re just fundamentally wrong on that one. Regardless, maybe you two don’t feel that way. I’ll take you at your word. However, I’ve seen what I talked about enough already that I knew it needed addressing. This attitude is out there no matter how much you try and rationalize it.
I’ll check out your link when I get the chance. Thanks.
Actually, I missed the “burn in hell”. Of course there will be crazy extremists who want to take vengence on BL behalf, but I still think that getting rid of the head man will make some think twice about it and hopefully take some steam out of their Jihad. I don’t wish anyone to burn in hell, but I am glad his direct influence will be gone. And I don’t think we are called to lay down and just wait while this group of extremists slowly take out anyone who doesn’t agree with them. I’ve met many muslims and have seen many interviews of muslims on Al Jazeer and some other Asian channels. There are definitely 2 groups of muslims out there — I think the ones truly interested in peace, the ones who talk against the extremists, will be key in the future, if they will stand against the ones who screem for Holy Jihad. I saw interviews this morning also of some that boasted about and lifted up BL for all he’s done and the influence he’s had. And some of those people on our soil – I have a problem with that.
As a Christian, I understand what you are saying and I too, do not celebrate the death of anyone no matter how evil they were. However, I was relieved that he was killed. As much as I’d like to live in a non-violent world, I do not. Although I would like to be able to turn the other cheek, I cannot. I support policemen and women, military men and women, and the many others who keep me and the ones I love safe. Without these brave men and women, there would be chaos. My own grandfather served in WWII. In his company of 195 men, only 24 made it home. He is the most gentle, kind person I know, yet I also know that he survived the war because he killed other men. He had two choices: he could kill or be killed. We have two choices: defend ourselves or surrender to violence. The day you dream of for this world is just that—a dream. Basically, reality bites.