The terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, resulted in almost 3,000 people losing their lives and about 3,000 children under the age of 18 losing a parent. Plus countless injuries, great physical and financial devastation, excruciating anguish and trauma and national humiliation. Many effects of that nightmare are still with us ten years later.
Many people are familiar with the twenty-third Psalm, in which David writes, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me” (verse 4).
This is a word picture of a lamb confidently going forward even while knowing that lions and wolves are nearby because he knows his shepherd cares for the sheep, is able to protect them and will protect them.
Regarding the death of Osama Bin Laden, I’m grateful for many reasons but not gleeful. When I watched on TV people gathering around the White House and in Times Square in New York to cheer, chant and dance, one part of me felt like joining in and another part of me felt disturbed as I remembered Proverbs 24:17-18 which warns, “Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles; lest the LORD see it, and it displease Him, and He turn away His wrath from him.”
“Osama bin Laden is dead!” While Americans spontaneously burst onto the streets of Washington, in triumphalism, chanting: “USA! USA! USA!” ...the silence in some other parts of the world was deafening.
Media depicting the exuberance of Americans, expressing their relief that 54 year old Bin Laden, who had a US$50 million reward on his head, was now dead and buried at sea, left many Muslims around the world in a state of bewildered wonderment.