God as terrorist: “I will send my terror ahead of you and throw into confusion every nation you encounter. I will make all your enemies turn their backs and run." That is part of the conversation of God and Moses found in Exodus.
God as Jesus: 43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor[a] and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." That is found in Matthew, the fifth chapter.
What are we to make of this? What are we to make of how Christians across the nation, heck across the globe, celebrated the death of Osama Bin Laden?
I'm reminded of some of the worst moments immediately after 9-11. Some Muslims danced in the streets across the globe, danced and sang and were quite happy simply because Americans had died in the Twin Towers. All of us thought that dastardly, terrible, something that had to be quietened.
For 10 years, we lay in a solemn waiting period. Then came news Sunday night of the death. And we, WE, danced in the streets, at ball games, in homes.
So I guess the question is, How are we different? What makes our joy different from their joy, whomever THEY are?
Hopefully we will begin to understand once and maybe for all that we are no different. We're just humans, flawed, sinning humans, trying to get through life without breaking things -- including ourselves. So, we celebrate the loss of life, bin Laden's life, as if we have won the war on terror.
Perspective is what is needed. When you celebrate and how is dependent upon which side you're on in this battle. For further perspective, the United Methodist position on war in general is this: The United Methodist Church calls upon all who choose to take up arms or who order others to do so to evaluate their actions in accordance with historic church teaching limiting resort to war, including questions of proportionality, legal authority, discrimination between combatants and noncombatants, just cause, and probability of success."
That's a lot of words to say, one must have just cause even for war.
Then the question is, did we have just cause for the 40-minute operation in Pakistan that led to the death of bin Laden, the mastermind of the destruction of the Twin Towers?
Let me state this clearly. This is my opinion. This is what I believe. I. Me. I speak not for the United Methodist Church nor for Christianity in general. I speak only for me.
I'm against war. I believe that peace is the only option that makes sense morally and intellectually. But there are times when one is just to believe physical violence is the way to go. Defending oneself is one. One could argue that going into Pakistan and taking out bin Laden is just. One could argue just as loudly that killing any human being is wrong. Let the debate go on and on.
But the question before us is do we celebrate this? My answer, my opinion, is no we should not. Why? Because bin Laden was a child of God, every bit the same as you and I. He was flawed. He was a sining descendent of Adam. He worshipped gods who were not those called upon in he time of Jesus. He killed and he planned ot kill more. He was evil, though he thought there were valid reasons for his actions. He was a real threat to this country.
But I believe God shed tears when those Navy Seals stormed the compound and killed bin Laden and several others.
Was it just? In making the argument that God is all-powerful and Job is not, Job's friend Elihu says, "But now you are laden with the judgment due the wicked; judgment and justice have taken hold of you." Notice the inclusion of laden in the sentence. I thought that was God really speaking to me this morning.
Friends, God is a God of judgment. We all will be judged one day. That is clear in scripture.
But God is also the deliverer of justice. He walks in and hands the equality of justice to us in our hours of need. Would God have given his OK as did President Obama to go into that compound? That I can't say. All I know is he was in those stairwells of the Twin Towers, he was at the funerals of those killed, he was with on those doomed and tragic airplanes and he was with those who stood up and took down the plane that crashed in Pennsylvania.
Should we celebrate bin Laden's death?
No.
Should we celebrate a victory in the on-going battle against terrorists?
You betcha.
There is a difference. In Psalm 9, David writes, "The LORD is known by his acts of justice; the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands."
Seems clear, doesn't it?
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