Though bin Laden is dead, al-Qaeda is not. The terrorists almost certainly will attempt to avenge him, and we must—and will—remain vigilant and resolute. —Leon Panetta, Director, CIA, May 2, 2011
I am glad that bin Laden has been stopped.
Did he deserve to die?
Of course he did. But I must not forget, though, that, because of my own sin, rebellion, and hatefulness, I am just as deserving of death and separation from God as bin Laden (and anyone else on earth, for that matter).
Today, I’ve been watching many of the same reports that you’ve been watching, and, in this brief moment, I want to urge all of us (myself included) to just stop and take a breath.
There is much rejoicing going on around the world over the death of bin Laden. I wonder how Jesus might feel about all of this if He were right here with us in the flesh. I cannot help but feel that He might respond to things a little differently than the way many of us are responding in this moment.
As a follower of Christ, I am not permitted to take delight in the downfall or demise of another. Even the demise of someone so heinously evil as Osama bin Laden most likely was. He was a sinner and someone just as needful (and undeserving) of the love of Jesus as you and I. As hard as it might be to fathom, if bin Laden had been the only one on earth, Jesus would have come just as eagerly to die for him.
So…in the light of all of this, I am not rejoicing over the death of bin Laden. I am rejoicing, yes, that his reign of terror has been brought to an end, but I'm not rejoicing over his end.
In this moment, I am asking our Father to bring to a saving knowledge of His Son those tortured souls who still comprise the remaining elements of al-Qaeda. I want them all—every last one of them—to come to such a knowledge for five principal reasons:
- It will influence (for good, of course) their individual eternal destinies.
- It will begin to enable each of them to experience forgiveness, peace, order, and love in this life—four things that all of us are so desperately in need of, and four things that most, if not all, of those affiliated with al-Qaeda have probably never experienced.
- It will begin to compel each of them to stop taking out their unresolved hatred, hurt, and anger on those to which they have violent access.
- It will bring healing to our world.
- God will be glorified, and it will make Him happy.
In this moment, I am commanding, also, that the spirits of darkness that have been at work in the hearts of those in al-Qaeda to be bound in the Name of Jesus Christ and banished from any and all future involvement in human affairs.
And, in this moment, I am asking the Father to protect and empower our military and intelligence communities to find and bring to earthly justice those who are responsible for committing the many terrorist atrocities that have been perpetrated throughout the world.
Pray, my friends, pray…
Bling
Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign Lord. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live? —Ezekiel 18:23
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. —Micah 6:8
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” —Matthew 5:43-48
For ours is not a conflict with mere flesh and blood, but with the despotisms, the empires, the forces that control and govern this dark world—the spiritual hosts of evil arrayed against us in the heavenly warfare. —Ephesians 6:12
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