For nearly 10 years I served in the Armed Forces of the greatest nation. I was greatly blessed by my Lord that I never had to serve in war and take a life or had my life at such risk as our young men and women do today. My heart swells with pride at the sight of one our great Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen or Marines in uniform. They and their families have sacrificed so much for the cause of our Freedom and Justice World wide. No matter one’s political views we should take great pains to recognize the sacrifice that has been made on our behalf.
When I heard the news that the “mastermind” of the 9/11 attacks had finally been found and killed, like many in our nation I rejoiced that justice had been fulfilled at least for the moment. I felt the patriotic tie to my brothers in arms who have sacrificed so much for this moment. I am proud of them and our nation.
As the days following the news, I saw many in a frenzy of excitement celebrating, some for justice, some for patriotism, and some in what seems to be blood lust over a dead man. Before anyone considers the thought that I am not patriotic or unconcerned for justice let me explain my struggle.
My first thought of the news of bin Laden’s death was that justice has been done, but my second thought was of his eternal destination. This man was a Muslim; He worshiped a false god named “Allah.” Whether he was a good Muslim or a bad Muslim as to his beliefs and practices are for others to judge. I can only speak of the fact that he believed in a lie of the devil. For the Bible is clear in John 14:6 when Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me,” and in Acts 4:12 Peter declared of Jesus, “there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved." No matter how well intentioned a man’s faith is, no matter how much he lives or dies for that belief, if his faith is not in the promises of the Lord Jesus Christ to wash away his sins through belief that Jesus died on the cross for him and was raised from the dead for him and ascended to the Father in heaven for him and will one day return to take him home with Him, he has no true hope.
After 9/11 and the news revealed that Osama bin Laden masterminded the attack, I prayed that the Lord Jesus through the Holy Spirit would convict him of his sin. Not just the mass murder of thousands, but for the sins we all are guilty of; dishonoring our fathers and mothers in how we live our lives and in our behavior, the hate and anger that fills our hearts that Jesus said was the same as murder, the lust in our heart which Jesus said was the same as adultery, the taking of things that are not ours no matter how small and regardless of their value, the lies we tell even the “little white” ones, and missing of blessings that the Lord has brought into our lives because we covet what is not ours.
What of the sins that we as Christian fail the most in at times; the sin of not making God first in everything, the sin of putting other things and even people before Him, the sin of taking His Name in vain whether in using His Name as a curse word or simply calling ourselves Christian and then living our lives as if God did not care, or the sin of not setting time aside for God and worshiping Him in Spirit and in Truth. Jesus summed up all of this in Matthew 22:36-40 when he was asked “what is the greatest commandment in the Law,” Jesus said, “YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND. This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF. On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets."
I prayed for his sins to be convicted of, not for the simple purpose of making him quit his vile behavior but that he would come to know Jesus as his personal Lord and Savior, that the angles in heaven would rejoice over another lost soul saved from hell’s clutches and that we would celebrate a new brother in Christ.
I don’t remember the moment I stopped praying for his salvation, when I suddenly decided he was unworthy of being my brother, I don’t remember making a conscious choice in the matter. Now I simply weep for another soul lost to a devil’s hell.
