The Death Of Ignorance

It's been almost twenty-four hours since the news of Osama bin Laden's death was announced. I'm not sure how I feel about it.

I am glad the Navy SEALS caught up with him. I am glad that some Americans celebrated publicly (understandable). I am glad that politically, this act "sends a message" to terrorists worldwide - namely, that the United States will catch you eventually. How this squares with fundamentalist Islamic terrorists who welcome death, I don't know. I don't know how effective it will be. I think the fact that the head of al-Qaeda spent his last moments hiding behind women is very telling. I think this fact should be spread as often, and as broadly as possible.

I was not surprised that he was found and killed in Pakistan.

I do not think that this ends anything militarily. If anyone thinks so, they are either delusional or not paying attention.

This morning, while listening to the local radio morning show crew discuss the news, it was not surprising that they seemed more contemplative than euphoric. That's how I feel. Does this really change anything? By this afternoon, there was already a lot of talk that "the next big thing" could be coming to America or Europe, out of retaliation for bin Laden's death. Which brings me back to the morning radio show.

These are people who rarely, if ever, talk about politics. Their hours on air are devoted to mostly trivial things involving celebrities. (Lest anyone think that this is the pot calling the kettle black, I know that I spent a ridiculous amount of space on this blog describing the royal wedding. It's not wrong to talk about those things. It is wrong for people to wholly devote themselves and all their time to keeping track of those things. Exhibit A: Ryan Seacrest. Digression over.)
One of the women on the show said something to the effect of "Well, Osama's dead, but there's always another Osama out there!" If she said it, how many people could be thinking it? A lot.

I don't want anyone to misunderstand: I am glad he is dead. Wanting salvation even for an enemy does not mean I think he should have been excused from the earthly consequences of his actions.

But I'm not euphoric. It would have been different if this had happened five years ago. But in a strange way, maybe it's better that it didn't happen earlier. On the whole, Americans have short memories. It may have lulled us into a false sense of security. I think it will take a lot longer for people to be lulled. For example:

2004 - the bombings in Madrid
2007 - the London bombings
2009 - the protests in Iran
2010-present - the protests/upheaval/government overthrows in Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, Bahrain, Syria, JordanKuwaitSaudiArabiaLebanon, etc. etc. etc.

And that's not the half of it. Or counting the natural disasters that have happened in the last decade.

Almost ten years ago, members of al-Qaeda, headed by Osama bin Laden, destroyed the bubble America was living in. They forced us to face reality. And the reality is that evil is never wholly defeated. There will be a Day when that comes. But the human race has no power to bring it about. Those who believe that the natural order of the universe is one of peace and tranquility are wrong.

The image of a peaceful world ended for Americans almost ten years ago. The death of one man will not bring back blissful ignorance. However, as Christians, there is no need to be in "the depths of despair" as Anne Shirley said.

The Psalm is apt for today, Psalm 146:

Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul!
I will praise the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.
When his breath departs he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish.
Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, who keeps faith forever;
who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets the prisoners free; the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous.
The Lord watches over sojourners; he upholds the widow and the fatherless, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
The Lord will reign forever, your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the Lord!

The first verses of the Old Testament Reading today are these (Exodus 22:20-24)

Whoever sacrifices to any god, other than the Lord alone, shall be devoted to destruction. You shall not wrong a sojourner or oppress him, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child. If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry, and my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless.

-BR