Rejoicing for Death?

So, Osama Bin Laden was killed yesterday. After almost 10 years, the man behind the worst terrorist attack on US soil has not only been captured, but killed. Shot in the head. Dead. He will no longer be masterminding any terrorist plots against anyone, ever again...and America has erupted in joy. If you look at virtually any news source, and especially if you look at Facebook/Twitter, everyone seems to be absolutely elated over this killing. Status messages are filled with exclamation marks, smiley face, and other terms of happiness and joy, and why shouldn't they, right? Justice has been served. A huge enemy of our country is dead. The man responsible for thousands of innocent deaths has finally gone...

However, as I told Manda last night, I cannot find joy in this event. In fact, I find it a bit upsetting that so many people are so happy over this man's death. Now don't get me wrong, I think that he was evil, did evil things, and needed to be stopped. Did he get what he deserved? Probably, yes, but I cannot be happy over the fact that we killed him.

What I cannot stop thinking about is this: Was his life worth less than yours or mine? Was his life less sacred than yours or mine? Did God love him any less than you or I? The answer, I am convinced, is a resounding no. He performed atrocities during his life that set him apart in the views of many, but how many of us have not performed atrocities?

I wonder, how many Christians felt any sorrow over this man's death vs. happiness and joy? Easter was just over a week ago, the day we celebrate the sacrifice that Christ made for us to bring us salvation and free us from our sin and an eternity in Hell. We rejoice over that and talk about how amazing it is that Christ would have come and died if only to save YOU. How often do we really put that statement into practice and belief though? It is great to think that God loves YOU or those YOU love enough to die to save only them, but what about Osama bin Laden? Did God love him enough to suffer and die to save only him? Did God love him enough to suffer and die for him, knowing everything that he would do? Would Christ have taken that bullet to the head to save bin Laden?

It is so easy for us to talk about how much Christ loves and dies for us, knowing everything that we would do, all of the terrible things that we would do in and with our lives.It is easy to think about love and forgiveness and no one being too bad when we are talking about ourselves, our group of friends and family, but it seems that we do not carry this out to those who we do not love or forgive.

That's the beauty of God's love! We cannot possibly understand it! He loves when we hate. He forgives when we hold grudges. His love is absolutely perfect and covers EVERYONE, no matter what they have done or who they are.

So, am I happy that Osama bin Laden is no longer free to move about the world, to plan terrorist attacks, to hurt countless thousands of people? Am I happy that the man responsible for so many innocent deaths has been "brought to justice?" Do I think that he deserved to die? Absolutely. However, I am not happy, and I certainly find no joy in the fact, that a human being who God loves and died for is now, for all we know, sentenced to an eternity in Hell. I simply cannot find joy in that, and the mass jubilation over the killing of a person, regardless of who it is, is upsetting to me.

So chime in. What do you think? Do you agree or do you think I'm crazy? Be honest.