Social Tension and Following Jesus

Part of being a follower of Jesus Christ entails that we must live with and respond to real world events.  This past week we have been inundated with the news of the death of Osama bin Laden at the hands of a US Navy SEAL team in a raid on his compound in Pakistan.  Responses have ranged from those who literally celebrated in the streets to others who were deeply troubled at such celebrations over the killing of any human being.  It is within that social tension that the Christ follower lives.

As I have thought and prayed about my response to this event, I have been challenged by God to start with His Word and seek to find the balance that will guide me in these situations.   These are not just matters of social justice or national patriotism, they are truly matters of the heart and if we truly believe that the Bible is our supreme and final authority in matters of faith and life then it needs to be our first source for direction.

With that thought in mind I began to search the Scriptures for a response to this event and I was led to Psalm 11.  David, the psalmist, seems to be in a situation in which justice is needed.  He expresses his confidence in God (v. 1) and his awareness of the underhanded dealings of the wicked (v. 2).  And he asks the question that we all ask, “When it seems that there is no justice what can the righteous, those who want to follow God, do?  Where do we turn?"

The answer is always the same.  Even when justice does not seem to be present we need to trust the God of justice who has never abdicated his position or lost control of the circumstances.  God is above us and is constantly aware of all that goes on.  The psalmist says he “examines the righteous” (v. 4) which literally has the idea of testing or refining.  But he hates those who do violence.  That is strong language that is backed up by God’s warning of severe judgment for those who love and practice violence on his creatures.  In contrast God says that he loves justice (v 7). 

How do we summarize this in light of this past week?  I think the balance is that God does not celebrate the death of any of his creatures because his desire is that all come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).  And yet he does allow justice to be done.  A man who masterminded the death of thousands of innocent people deserved justice and justice was meted out.  As a Christ follower I do not celebrate violence and death but I do love and celebrate justice as does God.