On the Death of our Enemy

The blogs and social networks are all abuzz as every Tom, Dick, and Harry scrambles to voice their opinion about the famous death of Osama bin Laden last night.  I am no different.  I admit that what I first felt when hearing the news was relief.  I thought perhaps this might bring a bit of closure to the wounds felt by the families of those lost on 9/11 as well as precipitate a quicker end to our war in Afghanistan.  For nearly a decade now, the death of this one man has driven American foreign policy and so, if you're a fan of American foreign policy, then I suppose yesterday was a tremendous victory to be celebrated.

My next reaction came when seeing gritty images of bin Laden's face on the TV screen, for the first time realizing that he was now no longer able to do any harm.  Amazingly, I noticed that, sure enough, he had two eyes, a nose, and a mouth just like mine.  Heck... we even both have beards.  I'd half expected his teeth to be pointy and horns to be coming out of his head, but it was not the case.  I was reminded again that he, too, is human.  And as such he bears the image of God.  And instead of thinking about our vast differences, I began to contemplate our similarities.  I have no doubt that Osama and I might find dinner conversation difficult.  Aside from the language barrier, I'm guessing he might not be too interested in disc golf or the St. Louis Cardinals or great fiction.  But he eats food.  And so do I.  And we could have done that together.

Is it good that Osama is now dead?  I don't know.  I don't think it really matters what my opinion is.  Millions rejoice.  I'm not quite confident enough to join in their gatherings.  Instead, I see one more dead man, one more condemned sinner like myself.  I really don't want to enter the grand debates over foreign policy.  I just want to lament the death of one human being who was made in the image of God like myself -- even if this death was for the greater good (to use popular American utilitarian language).

Of all the words being spread across the internet this morning, the most radical that I've come across and the ones that have given me the most pause are from a document many thousands of years old.  "Say to them, 'As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, O house of Israel?' (Ezekiel 33:11).  Do we delight in the death of the wicked?  Many are doing so today and maybe I'd be one of them if my own parent or spouse had been killed on 9/11.  Nevertheless, I can't help but think that Jesus would even today instruct me to forgive, to let go of my hate, and to allow vengeance to rest in the hands of Almighty God rather than the hands of men in uniform.  For God's justice is always perfect.

And so I sit at my computer with a mixture of feelings.  Relief.  Hope that we're entering a new and less militant chapter of human history.  And also earnest prayer for the soul of one who is now at the bottom of the sea.