Osama bin Laden Question

Last updated on: May 4, 2011 at 1:46 pm by Scot McKnight

Osama bin Laden Question 2011-05-04T12:30:33-05:00 Scot McKnight

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From a former student and now in seminary:

Scot,

I’m writing to you in regards to the death of Osama Bin Laden. I’ve been reflecting a lot this week on how to respond to these moments as a citizen of America, and ultimately of the Kingdom of God.

The Psalms, Proverbs, and Romans 12:9-21 & Romans 13:1-7 (and more) seem to give us paradoxical responses in regards to a death like this, and to all that the death represents. I’m weary of how quickly this event becomes a case study for the Christian response towards “our enemies” when this was never a Christian decision to take out Osama. It was a country and a president deciding to seek justice as is defined by the administration in light of his job as the leader of a people. I’m also worried about my own tendency to gravitate to certain positions through singular eisegesis. All the while forgetting to pray and mourn for all the people and families who lost their lives or loved ones unjustly on 9/11 and the bloodshed that followed. Sometimes there is so much to be said that very little should be said out of reverence for God, compassion for others, and the fear of not wanting to come across as the central authoritative voice in these matters and perhaps doing an injustice to Scripture. Yet, the wisdom of God and faithful exegesis should always be valued along with the voice of God’s people. Especially as many Christians and leaders seem to lack interpreting the Scriptures through the triune nature of our Sovereign Lord, and seem to highjack the words of Jesus to an either/or paradigm that seems to be either void or incomplete in comparison to the fullness of God and Scripture. We don’t have a Nicene creedal statement on these matters. I believe the cross of Christ is never to be proclaimed through the sword and that God’s Word is clear that vengeance is ultimately his, and his alone. Therefore we should seek to forgive and love our enemies. However, we’re not a Christian nation, and Osama was more of an enemy of the West and the USA, then an enemy of the cross.

As a pastor in training I’m learning to rightly handle the word of truth. I know I will be held to greater accountability on the day of judgment. My reaction today has been to spend time in Scripture (especially Psalm 99) and continue to learn my Greek so I can handle Romans 12 and 13 and other biblical passages in the future, while seeking clarity and wisdom from others.

I imagine you’re hard at work grading papers and writing but any perspectives, wisdom, or biblical clarity that you could share is always greatly appreciated.

Thanks brother, and nice to hear from you.

There are a number of places to begin and ideas to consider.

But I have to begin with this. Jesus said, “Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword.” Osama bin Laden was a violent man, and he breathed and threatened violence, he funded violence, and he trained some to use violence. That he met a violent end is in accord with the life he chose. Violence was the game he played, and the game eventually caught up to him. The sword cuts in both directions.

Having said that, I can’t rejoice that he was shot to death or that he or anyone else is dead; I can’t rejoice because violence does not bring peace. It unleashes cycles of more violence. We may never know, but it sure looks to me that he could have been captured alive. Of course, bin Laden alive and captured could be one of the biggest nightmares our government could imagine, but that won’t change my view that if he could have been captured alive that would have been more Christian.

Which brings me back to the original point: militaries believe the path to peace is secured by the path of defense and power. Our military is not seeking to be biblical or Christian. It has a mission to protect our interests. Osama bin Laden was a violent man who maliciously murdered innocents and diabolically developed plans of violence against the USA and Western countries. It within the rights of such countries to defend themselves and pursue their senses of justice through power and the use of violence. The words of Jesus, though, come back around: those who use the sword will die by the sword. Swords bring “peace” only to the degree that the one with power can suppress revenge. The sword can bring retributive justice, but time will only permit more violence to simmer and eventually break forth.

The question for us is how should we as Christians respond? We can grieve over deaths, we can be relieved by the removal of a violent man who was making the world violent, we can stand with those who lost loved ones in bin Laden’s wake, from 9/11 onwards into the wars in the Middle East and elsewhere, we can pray for the world and for our leaders and for ourselves and for our enemies and for other countries …

… and we can live a different way. The way of the cross. The way of reconciliation. The way of forgiveness. The way of peace.

And, I see absolutely no reason to release photos of the dead bin Laden.

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