The Death of Bin Laden

Sunday, May 1, 2011 will likely be one of those days we remember for a while. If not the date then certainly the experience of hearing for the first time that America's military had found and killed our most wanted terrorist. I was sitting in my living room with my wife and our son who had stopped by for a visit. Suddenly our son looked up from his Blackberry and said it looked like Bin Laden was dead and President Obama was about to address the nation.

While we watched and waited for the president to speak a couple thoughts kept running through my mind. How am I supposed to feel right now? What should my reaction be? Now I knew what my initial reaction was - a mixture of satisfaction and joy sprinkled with a small measure of relief. What I didn't know was whether it was the right reaction or the best response as a Christ Follower. Then I began to wonder if my brain was trying to over analyze the situation. It does that occasionally.

After the president spoke I consulted the Twitter world and my Face Book friends to see what others were thinking. I thought about tweeting myself but after composing a couple different statements and deleting them I decided to wait a bit to pray and process what we were all experiencing. So here I am - the next day - sorting through a variety of thoughts and feelings and forming a few opinions in the process:

1. Justice has been done. America's most notorious enemy has been defeated. What made Bin Laden's behavior so evil in the eyes of the civilized world was that many of his murderous acts were against the most innocent in society. 9-11 was the biggest but certainly not the only example of that. Not only did he indiscriminately kill civilians including women and children, but he used women and children as human weapons to do it. War is one thing - murder is another entirely. He was a self-confessed, global mass murderer on whom society appropriately imposed the ultimate penalty.
   
   
2. One of the primary responsibilities of government is to protect its people. Logic follows and history confirms that the best way to do that is from a position of strength. When an enemy attacks a society that society better respond and be able to impose significant consequences on the enemy. Otherwise they invite more attacks from other enemies and will eventually fail in that primary obligation. This doctrine of deterrence has proven throughout history to be an effective strategy for maintaining peace and keeping societies safe from invaders. Bringing Bin Laden and his cohorts to justice is a part of that on-going effort.
   
   
3. Heaven does not celebrate the death of any person who dies without the hope of Christ. Therefore, as a follower of Jesus Christ, neither can I. Now I can't know Bin Laden's heart. But his words and actions indicated that he didn't know the one true God through faith in Jesus Christ. The Bible is crystal clear on this point. Without Christ we are all lost to God for eternity. That's why God is incredibility patient and not willing that any should perish but that all should come to know Him through repentance (2 Peter 3:9). I know the Bible is full of stories of God bringing judgement and even death on the enemies of His people and those who oppose Him. But no where in those stories do I see God celebrating those deaths. Heaven does not open and angels don't burst into dancing and singing when people die without Christ - regardless of who they are or what they've done. In fact, I believe that Heaven morns the loss of another soul to Satan and Hell for eternity.

6 Things I Love about Kingdom Leaders

As I write this we are set to launch our 2nd Global Impact Celebration at NorthBridge. It's a time when missionaries and ministry leaders come to our campus for 5 days to share their stories. These experiences are like few others for me. They stir my soul and energize my mind. I think I just love being around Kingdom leaders like these - partly because of 6 words...

1. Calling - People don't do what these men and women do without an awareness of God's call on their life. A single life, acting out of a divine calling from a Holy God, is a powerful force for good in this evil world.

2. Mission - Their cause is Jesus' cause - people. It's not about buildings or dollars. They are reaching into the pit of Hell itself and reclaiming souls. They are running into the face brokenness to bring wholeness. They are on the front lines of an unseen war, battling the enemy of God for every single life. They know why they get out of bed in the morning. Because every life matters... to God... and therefore to them!

3. Passion - When Kingdom leaders talk about their work I feel their passion. Whether telling of triumph or heartbreak their stories are punctuated with emotion. Their work matters - and they are sold out to it. This is no 9-5 gig. This is real life and heart and eternity stuff. It touches their soul... and it touches mine.

4.  Character - In spite of isolated exceptions, Kingdom leaders are the most honest, authentic, and hard working people on the planet. They know they represent Christ to the world. Even though they're still human and mess up, they work hard at living with integrity and discipline. While others are fighting for position and possessions these men and women put a serving towel over their arm and ask what needs done.

5. Risk - Kingdom work is hard and playing it safe won't get it done. Helping the hurting and bringing hope to the lost requires sacrifice and innovation. It means trying and failing and learning and trying something else. It means risking relationships and reputation. Sometimes it means putting life itself on the line. But Kingdom leaders believe the cause is worth the risk!

6.  Blessing - Kingdom leaders make God smile! Like a child that brings joy to a parent, God loves those willing to trust and serve Him. He blesses those who work for peace and show compassion. He empowers those who lay it all on the line to show and tell of His great love. He rewards those faithful to His calling. Simply put, God loves Kingdom leaders. And, frankly, I like hanging out with folks who please God.

Social Media - The New Neighborhood?

Some time ago I started getting emails from people inviting me to join their favorite social networking site. Most of the time I just hit the delete button. Then one day, after some prodding from my kids, I decided to join one just to see what all the fuss was about.

You know those movies where the magician waves his hand, there's a pop and a puff of smoke, and something that wasn't there suddenly is? Well it wasn't quite like that... but close. Today I find myself "updating my status" and leaving comments on Face Book several times a day. I'm tweeting and following tweets, blogging, instant messaging, and having more interactions with a greater number of people than ever before.

This week I've instant messaged with a couple of friends across the country that I hadn't talked to for years, used Skype to talk with another friend working in eastern Europe (complete with video), and discovered a close family relative on Face Book who I didn't even know existed. That's just this week. So what's going on here? Is this just some crazy fade I've fallen into? Check out this YouTube presentation from the folks at Socialnomics.



It seems to me that the concept of "neighborhood" may be changing. In my grandparents day they would walk down the street to the corner market, pausing and talking with a half dozen neighbors along the way. They'd stop in to check on Mrs. Smith who'd been ill and they'd wave as they passed Mr. Jones mowing his yard. Just that quick drop-in or smile and wave said volumes about those relationships. They were friends - more than just acquaintances. They were neighbors!
In many ways that's what this new network of connections feels like to me. When someone pushes the "like" button on my status or leaves a comment on one of my postings it feels like a high five from a friend... like that wave to a neighbor that means 'I might be over later to borrow your lawn mower.'

If this social media is in fact a new 'neighborhood' culture I have to say that I like living here... a lot! The ability to open my smart phone and check to see what my friends are up to at any time is pretty cool. I can read their comments and respond with my own 24/7/365. It's a feeling of continual connectedness - of authentic and, maybe more importantly, ongoing community.

So what are the implications of this new type of connectedness? In my world I'm wondering what opportunities and what challenges this presents for organizational leaders and for the church? How does it impact the way we mentor and coach and teach? Does it change the way we think about groups, classes, community, or even our scope of influence? How might outreach and marketing be different and what impact does this new neighborhood have on ministry? Those are just a few of the many questions I'm processing.

Now I'm wondering what my new "neighbors" think about all this! Because my lawn mower really is broken again.