Tonight I saw some footage of the crowds at various venues in America Sunday evening, celebrating the death of Osama Bin Laden.  As I watched the videos, my brow furrowed, and I began to have the feeling that I had seen this somewhere before: the young men jumping up and down, the waving of the arms in celebration, the chanting at the death of the enemy … Suddenly it dawned on me: those jubilant Americans looked eerily like the Muslim masses, celebrating the attack on America on September 11^th 2001. 

Now don’t get me wrong.  I do not equate America’s actions with Bin Laden’s.  I believe that what our nation did in response to his coordination of attacks on our country was just and right.    I applaud the courage and efficiency of the brave American troops who carried out the attack that brought about Bin Laden’s demise.  I believe, in accordance with long-standing Christian doctrine, in the concept of the “just war” vs. a real evil, which Bin Laden personified.  What concerns me is the response I have seen and heard from many people – including many who name the name of Christ.  It is one thing for lost people to celebrate the death of an enemy in the same way that other lost people celebrate the deaths of theirs.  It is another thing for those who claim to have the mind and Spirit of Christ, to be jumping up and down and talking trash — as if their favorite football team had just scored on their conference rivals.  I think events like this call for a more sober response from the people of God.   

When I heard about Bin Laden’s death, I was actually in bed, almost asleep (again!)  Our daughter Libby had been sending me texts asking questions about her impending wedding, but it had been a while since her last text.  Suddenly another message came, but this one was different: she asked me if I was watching the news.  I knew then that something was up.  She told me what had happened and I went immediately to the news app on my phone and read the breaking story: Bin Laden had been killed by U.S forces.  I didn’t jump up and down on the bed; I didn’t hiss a victorious “Yes!”, or even pump my fist.  The best way I can describe my response was a feeling of an awed sobriety.  A man who had flaunted the laws of God and man had just been called to account.  Justly so; but a figure known by virtually every informed person in the planet had just been sent to hell for an eternity from which he will never recover.  Osama Bin Laden is now in hell.  It is a hell he deserved, but some of my sobriety lies in the fact that he is now in the same hell that I myself deserve.  I will never enter that place, but not because I don’t deserve it.  I will never enter it because the Suffering Servant whose resurrection we celebrated last weekend had borne all my sins in His body on the cross.  It is only by His grace that I will not face the same fate as Osama Bin Laden.    

It is a serious, sobering, and truly awesome thought: a man has just died, and is at this very moment in hell.  The words of Jesus in Luke are being lived out again: “and in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torment” (Luke 16:23). Hell is a very real and horrible place.  It is not a place to laugh and joke about.  It calls for the utmost sobriety from those who profess to believe in it.

Years ago, W.T Conner, professor at the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, was writing on his chalkboard in preparation for a class that was about to begin.  Several of his students were already in their seats, and one of them was telling a joke, the story line of which had something to do with hell.  Conner turned around, and the students said that he had a tear rolling down his cheek.  He said to the students, “Men, I never joke about hell.  I know people who are going there.” 

I think that Conner’s kind of Christian sobriety is what is called for from the people of God in their response to the death of Osama Bin Laden.  In another context, Jesus said that the attitude of His followers was to be different than that exhibited by the world: “It is not to be so among you.” (Matthew 20:26)  We are supposed to be different than they are.  We are supposed to respond differently to our enemies and to eternal realities.  I think that deep down, those of us who are truly Christians know that.  Let’s act like it.