Godly emotions and the death of Osama Bin Laden

Posted by on May 2, 2011 | 20 comments

Like many of you, when I heard about the death of Osama Bin Laden last night there was a flood of emotion as an American.  To be transparent, there was an immediate burst of excitement followed by some sadness followed by confusion about how I should feel.  After a quick scan of the internet, it seems like these are the four most common reactions among Christians…

  • Unmitigated happiness and excitement that justice was done.
  • Unmitigated sadness that a non-Christian died and fell into God’s wrath.
  • Chastisement of others for feeling happiness and excitement.
  • Chastisement of others for feeling sadness.

Christians should always be seeking to have the character quality that God so greatly prized in David, saying…

I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart…

Simply put, Christians should – with the highest amount of care we have – be cultivating a heart that feels what God feels toward people, things, and circumstances.  Having revealed the nature of his heart in Scripture, there are two things we know about what we should feel about the death of Osama Bin Laden today in light of God’s own heart…

  • We should rejoice that justice has been done. It is not wrong to desire justice – in fact, it’s one of the most prominent commands in Scripture – and justice includes the proportionate punishment of the wicked.  To be clear: it’s explicitly unChristian to take vengeance into our own, individual hands (Romans 12:9), but one of the specific roles that the Bible outlines for human governments is to “bear the sword” (Romans 13:1-7) as an agent of justice.  Even the most quick, cursory reading of the prophets shows that justice is central to the character of God.  Rejoicing in justice is not wrong and celebrating our soldiers’ just accomplishment is a good thing.
  • We should mourn that a sinner Jesus died to save perished and dropped into the eternal wrath of God. Proverbs 24:17 instructs us not to “rejoice over the death of our enemies” and not to “let your heart be glad when he stumbles”. Ezekiel 33:11 shows us God’s heart for the death of the wicked: “As I live, declares the Lord, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live.”  The unified heart of all the New Testament authors was one of brokenness and mourning for the lost to know Christ and be saved from God’s wrath.  We should feel this too.  For Osama Bin Laden.

An unmitigated embrace of either of these feelings to the exclusion of the other misses the heart of God today. We should feel both of these things.  We shouldn’t be verbally dancing on Osama Bin Laden’s grave, hatefully laughing at the fact that he’s in judgment.  But we also shouldn’t be regretting that justice was done with unmixed sadness. This is important because we’re also instructed to guard our hearts (emotions) “above all else”.  Examine your heart today and ask, “Am I feeling what God is feeling?”  Repent if necessary.

20 Comments

  1. Mary Bea | May 2, 2011 at 9:25 am

    thanks…cuz I was all twisted up inside…

    • Clarence Barnett | May 2, 2011 at 9:34 am

      This is tight, for some, but it’s right. Another reason why God, not man, sits alone on the throne.

  2. Josh Howerton | May 2, 2011 at 9:58 am

    A wife of a combat veteran Army Ranger (a bad dude in the good sense of the word) who had been deployed for 2 years just sent me this message. Good to keep the army wife perspective in mind…

    “Josh — I read your blog about the emotions we as Christians should be feeling about the death of Osama Bin Laden and I just wanted to say Thank You for posting that.

    I am married to a combat veteran Army Ranger and also and amazingly Godly man and we stayed up to watch all the coverage last night. I think we together have already been through all the different emotions you described multiple times and I can tell you I am still struggling through this more then I ever thought I would be. I am mournful over bin Laden’s ultimate fate but the “army wife” in me is glad that the purpose behind my husband and so many of our friends fighting has happened. I have been reading facebook post after facebook post that we as Christians shouldn’t be happy about this and should be ashamed if we are and I want to post on them “yes, but your husband didn’t fight for this for almost 2 years.”

    Anyway, I don’t mean to ramble and I am sorry I have. I think your blog put the conflict of emotions I was feeling perfectly and I really appreciated reading those words. THANK YOU!”

    • Evan | May 2, 2011 at 2:20 pm

      Excellent post, Josh! I find myself caring very little about what most of the peanut gallery has to say about this relevant issue. I already know how both sides feel (as a Christ-follower, I have both sides within me: the old sinful nature creeping up, as well as a renewed heart and mind). When an Army Ranger’s wife speaks, though, I tend to listen a bit more carefully. Thanks to both of you for sharing this! His Kingdom come!!

  3. Michael Jones | May 2, 2011 at 10:17 am

    This is a really great summary of what is going on in many Christians’ emotions. Times like this mark what is really in our heart. Do we harbor hate and bitterness or have we forgiven those who committed horrific crimes against us?

    The prison of unforgiveness is a terrible place to live and the death of a criminal brings little to no true joy.

    While it is important for this man (who was given the option of surrender) to be removed from the Earth, I don’t think it’s a time to celebrate anything other than the fact that we are a blessed nation with a great military and a divine protection from God Almighty. May our hearts heal from this tragedy and may justice always be in the hands of God.

    • C Brown | May 3, 2011 at 4:03 pm

      So says Jehovah, Keep judgment and do justice; for My salvation is near to come, and My righteousness to be revealed (Isaiah 56:1). To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice (Proverbs 21:3). We are required by God to bring justice to the orphans and oppressed–that is what was done. And notice who is supposed to execute the justice–we are. While God is just and He will bring the ultimate justice, we are to also “do justice” a weighty responsiblity that should certainly be done with care.

  4. John Howard | May 2, 2011 at 10:39 am

    Well said my friend. There is a reason Christians have mixed emotions today. Thank you God for turning this page. May we be a nation that seeks to have a heart after God and actions in step with His heart, not ours.

  5. Mike Sisson | May 2, 2011 at 11:26 am

    This was really good. My question is whether this qualifies as justice or not. The extra-judicial killing of an individual at the behest of another doesn’t sound like justice to me, but murder or assassination. He wasn’t captured, tried, convicted and sentenced to death. Our government, in our name, decided that this man had to die and so now he is dead.

    If he had been killed at Tora Bora, I would not bat an eye. I do not mourn for an enemy’s war dead. I have the uneasy feeling that this was not war but murder and vengence snatched from the hand of God.

    Government bears the sword, but against nations or other governments, not against individuals.

    I feel a sense of conclusion. An evil man is dead, I will not rejoice for his death nor mourn it any more than any other unrepentant gone to judgment.

    • John Howard | May 3, 2011 at 9:58 am

      Mike

      Who knows the truth, but the news is reporting the military was authorized to bring him in if he surrendered.

  6. Mike Kiedrowski | May 2, 2011 at 11:37 am

    Thanks Josh, that really needed to be said. I must admit I was glad to hear the news and never really considered what God ‘s feeling may have been. I can’t help but think God would have dealt with him eventually with retribution for his actions. Now it’s just been sped up. I also thank God none of our soldiers were injured or killed during the mission. What brave men they must be! Hat’s off to them!

  7. Corey Pittman | May 2, 2011 at 12:10 pm

    Very good Josh!

  8. Claire | May 2, 2011 at 2:32 pm

    Thank you for this. I have been struggling with this ever since I started reading how many people were rejoicing that he was in hell. Where as a Child of God I am saddened at even the Thought of it. Thank you once again.

  9. SONYA LOFTON | May 2, 2011 at 3:46 pm

    THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS POST! AS A REMINDER TO US ALL, WE MUST CONTINUALLY KEEP OUR MILITARY IN PRAYER. THANKS AGAIN!

  10. marie | May 2, 2011 at 10:18 pm

    this was a very good post, today I have spoken with people who was confused about how they should be feeling like this. There are some Christians who is being kind of hard on others who is actually happy that this particular threat toward mankind has been remove, even as they continue to mourn for the potential loss of his soul.

  11. Stan | May 2, 2011 at 10:23 pm

    A friend of mine sent me to this blog. I definitely had some of the exact same feelings. I’m glad there are other followers of Christ, sharing their thoughts on this topic. Would love to hear your opinion as well. Grace & Peace,

    http://culturalawakening.wordpress.com/2011/05/02/osama-bin-laden-and-the-christians-response/

  12. Dan Kassis | May 3, 2011 at 11:38 am

    One thing this has really made clear – at a most meaningful time in the church – is that people inherently desire that justice be done. We know that a person responsible for the deaths of thousands of innocents, and probably thousands more than died on 9/11, must be judged and punished. We would have wanted Bin Laden brought to justice if he had lived through the attack, even before our imperfect human justice system. How much more do we want a perfect God to exact just punishment?

    But how would we feel if Bin Laden were given a pass, a shrug of the shoulders and, a warning never to kill people again? The truth is if we really do want love to win, we must also desire that justice win alongside love. We cannot know true love apart from the love Christ displayed on the cross. We also cannot know perfect justice apart from the final judgment we know is coming. Christians should be thankful that God is both perfectly loving and just, and that in His hands Bin Ladin, you, and I will be judged rightly.

    • Josh Howerton | May 3, 2011 at 1:38 pm

      YES. ^ This ^

      Keller hit this nail on the head at the Gospel Coalition Conference, saying “At the cross, all the attributes of God win.”

  13. Laura | May 3, 2011 at 7:06 pm

    Our sincere concern and remorse regarding Osama bin Laden’s eternal destiny is what sets us apart from non-Christians. Let us hope that those non-believers might see this difference and turn to the One that makes this attitude possible.

  14. kim | May 3, 2011 at 9:44 pm

    This was perfectly worded for the emotions I’ve had over the past few days. I’ve had people tell me I’m crazy for how I feel about this and that it not American lime for me to no “CELEBRATE” over this. But how can I celebrate a death of someone that will face eternity in hell? I do realize he done wrong and like you say needed some sort of justice. This has worded my thoughts perfectly. Thank you.

  15. Tony | May 5, 2011 at 8:45 am

    Through out the scriptures God has used men and nations to bring about his justice to men and nations. God is all loving and his love includes his justice and his punishment.
    Gods ways are so high above ours as the heavens are above the earth.. can we ever understand his ways completely? ….I can only believe that his will was worked this time through the the United States millitary….. knowing that Ben Laden has been judged according to his heart… and according to what he has done….. I take peace in that.