May 3 – “On Osama bin Laden”

I've been reading some of the reports and thoughts and editorials about Osama bin Laden's death yesterday. Amazing how many different ways people can see the same event. The end of an era. The start of something new. The best thing that's happened in ten years. The worst possible scenario. I heard that the televised Mets baseball game had one of the most interesting responses. The game was in process and pockets of people around the stands would hear about the bin Laden death. Cheers would erupt. And the players on the field had no idea what was happening. Now that had to be comical. Imagine the thoughts of the guy coming to bat, struggling in the throes of a terrible batting slump, who hears wild cheers from the home stands after he strikes out. Confusing at best. I heard that at the Nationals game in Washington they already had a tribute to our troops planned. Worked out well for them. I read a post from a friend in California. He was the first of several who pondered philosophically about the proper "Christian" response to the matter. His thoughts were similar to the article in this morning's paper: "A moral dilemma: love our enemies or cheer their death?" We can't help but feel a sense at least of relief, if not outright joy, when justice is done. American intelligence operatives have been tracking this guy and refusing to give up for ten years. Admirable determination. Navy SEALS put their own lives at risk to accomplish this task. Commendable resolve. On the other hand, God loves bin Laden just as much as he loves me. And Jesus told us to love our enemies. The guy was obviously deluded, but he made the choices that made him a fugitive. We human beings have a really hard time combining the ideas of pure justice and pure love. But that's part of what makes God, God. All I can do is embrace and celebrate the justice, and still try to maintain a certain twinge of sadness at the effects of evil on a person's life. Zechariah 7:9 says, "This is what the Lord Almighty says: 'Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another.'" Father, thank you for your protection of those who seek to carry out justice in the world, in our nation, and locally. Help us remember the other side of the coin as well. Love. Amen.