Bin Laden is Dead - and so are we

It is heartbreaking to read the self-righteous FB posts of Christians smugly celebrating the death of Osama Bin Laden. Christians, please repent.

Yes, this man was a religious, political, military and economic enemy of the United States. Yes, he is responsible for the violent and unjust destruction of many innocent lives. Yes, his influence on humanity was an evil one. And yes, it is therefore good that he can no longer wield that influence.

Therefore, yes, there is reason in the United States to breathe a sigh of relief, and to feel encouraged that certain forms of justice are not yet dead.

But why can't you see that your sense of moral superiority - as if God is in heaven high-fiving us along with all the angels - is absolutely NOT of the Holy Spirit? On the contrary, it is of a spirit that is much closer to the spirit that drove Bin Laden himself. Before he was physically dead, he was spiritually dead. Do you really think being "born again" has freed you completely from that same spiritual deadness?

"I thank You God that I am not like other people..." (Luke 18:11)

We all seem to take it for granted that there is a pretty firm boundary between the crazies and the common people, as if the world would be all peace and flowers if all of "them" could be put away for good, while all of "us" could run the country or the world with our humble goodness and easy grace.

What a heap of stinky maggot droppings. The fact is, there is no firm boundary between "them" and "us." We are, or can become, them. They are, or can become, us. A serial killer is discovered to have been living in our neighborhood for years, and we immediately call him a “monster.” Why? Primary reason: to pretend that his fundamental humanity is fundamentally different than our fundamental humanity.

I’m not talking here about a moral equivalency. Of course there is a huge difference between being a terrorist murder vs. merely watching too much television. Don’t play that game. Of course there’s a difference, and it's good when there is a justice system that can put some controls on the worst things we are capable of doing. But do you have the courage to think about how much of our own humanity is shared with the humanity of terrorists, wife and husband beaters, and corrupt politicians?

The corrupt machinery that spins out their victim claims and self-righteous justifications is right here in us too, spinning out what are essentially the same kinds of arguments - even if it's not to the same degree of obvious destructive behavior. Bin Laden himself was once a tiny baby sleeping sweetly in the arms of his mother. He was part of a family - one that had the same humble occupations or preoccupations we do: money, "self-respect," comfort, a need to get our way, etc. Money mostly.

It's not two vastly different groups of people with a line drawn between them. It’s one deep polluted ocean we’re all swimming in, and the news outlets only report the most commercially profitable events that happen on that ocean's surface. But each of us is a drop of water in that ocean - moving and being moved.

We all have known - I know I have - manipulative, deceptive people who put on a good outward show and constantly rehearse to themselves the evidence for their own worthiness. But do you see the trick I just played? I said we have all "known" such people. Naturally, I did not say we have all BEEN such people. But we all have agendas, want our way, "know" what's right, etc. Given a standing army, limitless oil resources, and a room full of people constantly telling us how wonderful we are, what might each of us be capable of?

If you think you are not capable of great evil, you are a fool. Please repent.