On the Death of Osama bin Laden

I learned late last night of the US armed forces raid that resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden.  This morning I'm thinking about how Christians around the world might be thinking about this.  Some people (US forces) killed other people (bin Laden et. al.).  Should Christians rejoice in this killing?

Imagine that a rabid wolf is attacking pets and threatening humans in the St. Germain / Sayner area.  This goes on for some time and affects the daily lives of people -- as they send their pets out into the yard, or their children go out to play.  One day an intrepid hunter from a state agency, having received a waiver on the wolf's protected species standing,  tracks the wolf down and shoots it.  How will people react?  They will rejoice.  People are safer.  Their pets are safer.  And a sick animal's suffering is ended.  This is just another example of the circle of life.

But wait!  We're talking about a human being.  Isn't that categorically different? 

The Christian community, according to Jesus, is to serve the larger community, as salt, or as leaven.  Both salt and leaven are minority elements in any recipe.  Neither one can serve as the entree.  They are powerful chemicals that make profound changes in the bread dough.

It is the salt and leaven within the Christian's conscience that makes us stop and ask, "Is it proper for me to celebrate this death?"  (We have salt and leaven that was never available to Osama bin Laden.)  The fact that we even ask the question is to our credit.  Having asked the question, here is my answer.

The mental health of the nation requires at least a short period of celebration.  Our grief and horror at the events of 9/11, and the grinding 10-year-long feeling of near-hopelessness at bringing bin Laden to justice has finally broken with the first rays of relief and closure at this news.  I believe we would be showing MERCY to New Yorkers, or families of 9/11 victims, or the nation as a whole, to take some satisfaction in the news of bin Laden's death.  The jubilation at Ground Zero and outside the White House will not last long.  The hard work of making the world safer from terrorism will continue.  We will quickly return to the sober work of disarming those who want to murder innocents.

In the mean time, let us give ourselves permission to take a deep breath, and with heart-felt relief, let it out with a loud, "Phwew, thank God that's over!"