Ding Dong The Wicked bin Laden is Dead

Like you, I was captivated by the story of brave American special forces storming into the compound of a known terrorist who was responsible for coordinating the American attacks on September 11, 2001.  There was rejoicing in the streets. Cheering in this country and others.

Christians thanked God and held celebrations.  Osama bin Laden is dead! We killed him and all is well! Rejoicing was pronounced.

Really? Rejoicing in killing? Most likely, they rejoiced that closure had occurred.

But, did the killing of Osama bin Laden give closure to widows and families of September 11th saints?

“Closure” is a funny thing. As I watched on TV, a news program interviewed a September 11th widow. They asked,

“Does this death of Osama bin Laden give you closure?”

The widow said:

“No.”

Wow. Not even the death of the man responsible for coordinating and supporting an organization whose purpose is to fight against everything American.

Closure is complicated.  Just because someone gets their “comeuppance” for their deeds does not mean everyone feels good. Killing bin Laden cannot bring back loved ones. It may feel like a piece of closure, but who can really “close” their feelings of a loved one passed? Are we more safe because this man has died? Is the War on Terror over?

Ding dong the wicked witch is dead!

In reality, the killing of bin Laden was a necessary evil. Like Dietrich Bonhoeffer in World War II, we admit that killing is wrong, but when evil despots persist we cannot let them continue to do wrong. However, the reality of terror is still very real and even more powerful. Our enemies still encircle us.

The reality is, Jesus commands use to pray for our enemies in Matthew 5:

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

The question is, how have Christians fulfilled the commands of Jesus and prayed for bin Laden? One pastor has. Fellow pastor and recipient of funding from The Fund of Theological Education program, Rev. David Lewick, deals with the reality of bin Laden’s death on CNN’s belief blog:

I have been praying for Osama bin Laden for 10 years. I was not surprised by news of his death. As I asked myself why, I suspect it is because, in my eyes, bin Laden died long ago. He died to goodness; he died to mercy; he died to peace. He died to the things that God cares most about. He was alive until this week — but he died to life a long time ago.

Truly, bin Laden died to the things that are good… the things that are Godly. His evil ran contrary to God’s desire.  He is dead.

Just as the Wicked Witch died in L. Frank Baum’s books, the problems for the people of Oz continued, and sometimes got worse. Though bin Laden is dead, our problems will not cease. Osama bin Laden is one among many who wish us harm. Our elation over his death is a part of a greater problem of evil and rejoicing over this news is troubling. Until the day when heaven and earth merge into one, we will still have bin Ladens.

The question is, “How will Christians respond to such news?”  The witch may be dead, but our problems are still present. Maybe the greater questions is, “How can we continue to be the presence of Christ in a world of suffering, hate, terror, pain, and death?”