Mourning Osama

  Today, the world has found out that Osama Bin Laden is dead.

America is taking credit for his death.

Americans, Christian and non are rejoicing in his death and glad that this man has passed away.

  I am not so quick to rejoice.  #1, I am skeptical that it was actually him that died and #2 if it was him that died, what is there to be happy about?  A man who did not know Christ died.  In my worldview, this means that Osama Bin Laden is now in Hell.  This does not bring me happiness, nor does it bring me comfort.

  Some would question my patriotism.  Some would say I am weak.  Others would wonder why I am being so "religious" about a "political" issue.  I don't care what you think. 

  I am sad that a man who had extreme potential to be fervent for the right thing, had become so painfully blinded by the wrong thing and gave his life for a lie.  As followers of Jesus, who claim to love Jesus should this not burden our hearts?  As people, even Christians are dancing on the grave of an eternally condemned man, does that not bring pain to your heart?  Does the word "lost" mean nothing any more?  Or are we happy and rejoicing that we have found "vengeance"?

  I am not for what Osama did in life.  I knew people who had family members die on 9-11, so I am not even numb to the realities of the devastation this man caused in life.  On that day, many died who did not know Christ and they too suffer the same fate as Osama.

  We can get into a Rob Bell-esque discussion of why would God allow Hell, but this is not the time or place.  I believe the Bible and I trust what Jesus says about Hell and it is that trust that makes me sad for Osama. 

  Have we been praying for his conversion or his death?  Have we stopped to think of the implications of a man such as that sold out to the cause of Christ?  A man who inherits millions and his sole desire is to serve his god in the way he knows how...could you imagine if he were sold out to Christ?  The implications are far reaching.  Yet most of us slip into what we "deserve" and we rejoice at the death of a fellow man.

  I am wrestling with this.  We fight for this type of justice and we rejoice when we receive the justice we've been begging for.  The odd thing is, we are all just as bad as Osama Bin Laden.  Left to ourselves we could all be radical murderers, couldn't we?  We say in church we all deserve death for our sins, but we wouldn't want that justice, would we?  God has extended great mercy and grace to us, shouldn't we do the same?

  Just think with me for one second.  What if, instead of cheering at the death of Osama, we held a National vigil of mourning for him.

  Crazy, I know.  However, what would that say to the world about Jesus?  I think it would shock many and cause them to see Jesus as he is, merciful and loving.  Do you think it would help change the way in which people see American Christians?  I think for sure it would.

  Sadly, this won't happen.   Too many of us are selfish and want to rejoice in his death, without feeling guilty.  We want to relish the victory we as Americans have so long strived for: Osama dead.  If we think this death is going to stem the rising tide of terror, we are foolish.  Osama's story will only spur on more zealots like him and his death will drive them to the top to get known as Osama was.

  I know I am going to get blasted for this post, but like I said before, I don't care.  I care about the lost.  I care about people coming to know Jesus and no death, no matter who it is, is worth rejoicing over unless they knew Jesus and Jesus knew them.

  Let us change the way we in the Western world see the world and ask Christ for his eyes, so we can see as he does.  Today, I believe he mourns yet another death of an eternally condemned man.