A Few Thoughts on the Death of Osama Bin Laden

We will never know the number of innocent human lives that have been saved through this action all across the world. Bin Laden will never plan another terror attack on civilian men, women, and children; of that we can be certain. Terrorism remains alive and well, but its chief celebrities have been killed or captured and the myth of Al Queda’s invulnerability has been almost completely destroyed in the last decade.

What has taken me aback is the surprise in the minds of many who have approached me about the subject today--as if this was a completely unexpected turn of events. The man was not immortal or invisible. He had managed to hide in some of the most remote and lawless tracts of land in the entire world, but he had the full weight of the United States military and her allies against him. His death was only a matter of time… one way or another. Without him here, a significant blow has been struck against those who allied with him to do us great harm.

The work of preserving peace, safety, and justice remains unfinished and we have people of valor and determination both here and abroad who have sworn to carry out that dangerous and woeful work. These tasks will continue to be unfinished until Christ returns in glory and we continue in the ages-old struggle against the wretched curse of sin that infects and effects all of us.

One does not rejoice in death (not even this death though it does purchase us some releif and closure).

Instead, one rejoices in victory… and the greatest victory--the one secured by Christ Jesus who died for our sins and rose from the dead so that death is swallowed up in victory for all who believe--that greatest victory of all victories is both now and not yet.

Lord, come quickly!