Celebrating Death?

So they finally found him. And they put a bullet through his eye. The news of Osama Bin Laden's death yesterday and the ensuing mass celebrations is truly peculiar isn't it? I don't know if 'peculiar' is even close to the right description, but Bin Laden's death has been anything but joyous for me. Maybe this makes me unpatriotic - but I find it all very odd, that's all. Times Square in New York City looked like New Year's Eve - it made me stop to remind myself WHY: A man - a vile, and wicked man, no doubt - was hunted down for over ten years and assassinated in cold blood - and the world rejoiced. Don't get me wrong, I know what Bin Laden stood for and I know all the terrible things for which he was responsible, but I just don't think I can smile and raise a toast about his death like the people in Times Square.

I just find myself reflecting on the timing of it all. As a man who serves the church for a living, my internal calendar instinctively pointed me to a week prior, when we celebrated another man's death. And I found myself wishing there had been a similar public outcry of jubilation when we observed the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Can you imagine how cool it'd be to turn on the news to see people crammed shoulder to shoulder in the streets united in their celebrating of Easter?!  Jesus, like Bin Laden after all, experienced death via assassination. The comparison of course, ends there - but, nevertheless, if there was ever a death to be celebrated (click here to read an excellent blog post about this) - a death to be exalted and shared with others, it was Jesus' not Bin Laden's. Maybe that's just me.

I guess the point I'm trying to make is that I find it unsettling the way the world is exalting Bin Laden's demise from this life. I understand that their joy is more about how his death will undoubtedly help to minimize future tragedies from terrorist acts. I understand that people feel he got what he deserved and that with a Bin Laden-free world, people feel a tad more safe.  I get it. I may not necessarily agree with those same sentiments or the ridiculous amount of time, money, human lives and resources spent to accomplish this mission, but I understand why they felt his death was important. But, I just can't get past the part where we as a culture are patting ourselves on the back and glorifying murder - the very same thing Bin Laden and his cronies did when the Towers fell ten years ago. How, in the eyes of the watching world, does killing Osama Bin Laden make us any better than him?  Instead, as a Jesus follower, I think this calls for some serious reflection and a somber attitude, not a giddy - 'ding-dong the wicked witch is dead' one.  I think I'll strive towards a present and future in which we are rejoicing while truly living out Jesus' love for one another and courageously bringing justice throughout all the world, alleviating those suffering in hunger or achieving reconciliation and peace amidst the wars and fighting. 

And if we simply must rejoice about something - after all, it has been a long winter and bad news keeps piling up these days, may we rejoice in the good news of Easter and in the hope and the promise of the empty tomb; that Jesus died and rose again for all of us - even the likes of Osama Bin Laden.