My 2 cents on bin Laden.

If you're anything like me, you've had more than your fill of people on Facebook and the blogosphere sharing their thoughts on how Christians ought to respond to the news about the death of bin Laden.  I have no intention of adding to the noise.  I'm not sure anything new can be said about it.  But for the sake of honesty, let me just say that I think the actions we took were necessary but not beautiful.  I think it was just, but I don't think it accomplishes justice.  I could say an awful lot more about that, but I think the bottom line for me is that there is a tension here and I think we just have to live in it.  


But the whole debate brings up something that is far more intriguing to me.  It's the idea that the Gospel (the good news regarding Jesus Christ) introduces the possibility of a different kind of response than we might otherwise be able to see or certainly to choose.


There are 2 scripture passages that are deeply relevant and I know you've seen these by now:

• Prov. 24:17 -  If your enemy falls, do not exult; If he trips, let your heart not rejoice 
• Matthew 5:43-45  -  “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 children of your Father in heaven.

I met with a friend today who basically told me, if God seriously wants me to love my enemies, I don't think I can be who God wants me to be.  This was a guy who, on a very personal level, has every right and every reason to hate Osama bin Laden.  And yet he finds himself wrestling with the sense that God is asking something more of him.  And he (like me) isn't sure he can find that other response in his heart.

It occurs to me that this is the most spiritually significant point in the entire conversation about bin Laden.  This might be the question that matters the most.  This is hugely important.

It COULD be that we follow a God who more or less leaves us to our own means and basically challenges us to do our best.  The result would be that we just are who we are.  We can do what we can do.  And that's it.  If a certain standard is beyond my reach, then I just settle for what I CAN reach.

But the truth is so much better than that.  We follow a God whose creative work in us continues.  This is amazing - God is intent on my becoming MORE than I currently am.  Through God I find myself able to do MORE than I can currently do.  With God, all kinds of other possibilities open up because our infinitely creative God is able to do so much more than we can possibly imagine.  

This isn't remotely about shame in terms of who we are right now.  No shame allowed here.  This is about God who is constantly dreaming about what is possible in my life - and my own dreams can't even come close to measuring up to what God dreams on my behalf.  

So when I read that love never fails...well, my own vision fails.  My own capacity for love fails.  My ability to love my enemies definitely has its limits.  But GOD'S capacity for love opens up so many other possibilities.  

All of which leaves me thinking, I'm suddenly way less worried about how I should or shouldn't respond to the news of bin Laden's death.  I'm too caught up asking God to show me some of the dreams he might have for me.  I'm too excited exploring some of the things that are possible for me, because of Jesus Christ in me.