Many of my memories from high school have faded, however one feels like it was just yesterday. Nearly ten years ago, I walked into Ms. Tuttle’s second period creative writing class to a strange sight; the television, which other than school announcements was as useful as a poster, was tuned to national news showing smoke billowing out of one of the twin towers. In the next hours I would watch from my classrooms as another plane hit, then one at the pentagon, and then the towers collapsed. Over the next few days information came in and Osama bin Laden was a wanted man, dead or alive. Yesterday the U.S. Armed Forces fulfilled those promises by killing bin Laden.

This time however I did not get the news from a television, I got it from social media as twitter and facebook exploded with updates, information, and rejoicing. As I sat in my recliner listening to President Obama I struggled with the tension of how to respond to this death. On one hand, I was glad that we got him, on the other I thought to Jesus’ command to “love your enemies.” Soon I joined the frenzy of status updates gave my two facebook cents, “Matthew 5:43-47, Ezekiel 18:32. Murderer or not, the death of someone outside of Christ is far from beautiful and not cause for celebration.” I still believe that but my statement ignored significant truths from Scripture.

Not even a full day after I heard the news of bin Laden’s death I  find myself wrestling with what does it mean to think Christianly about this death. Does a mass-murderer deserve death? Absolutely, God punishes the wicked (Leviticus 10:1-2; Psalm 5:5-6; Acts 5:10-11) Are governments right in taking action against evil-doers? Absolutely, “[A governing authority] does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer (Romans 13:4).” Osama bin laden deserved justice, his life work was devoted to murder, destruction, and terror. The right punishment for his actions is clear in my mind, death.

Justice has been served, but we must be careful in what we celebrate. Should we take pleasure in a death of a person created in the image of God? Should we celebrate a man spending eternity in torment? All of God’s attributes deserve praise including his justice, and one way that justice was demonstrated was through Osama bin Laden’s death. However praise for the Lord is far different than nation worship and dancing on graves. There is only one death I will praise, only one man’s blood that I will rejoice in. That death was the one which bore God’s wrath and justice in my stead, that death is the death of Christ.

“But he was pierced for our transgressions,

he was crushed for our iniquities;

the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,

and by his wounds we are healed.”