Justice in the Bible is often linked to God’s concern for those who have been hurt by people like Bin Laden and us.
For most of that reason we are rightfully thankful when dangerous people are apprehended. We are reassured by the thought that the offenders of our children will have their day in Court.
But does God love us more than the terrorist, especially when we hurt someone else with silent contempt, or with tongues that according to James, are “set on fire by hell” (James 3:6)? (The issue here is a matter of persons, not whether God loves good more than evil)
Jesus died either for some of us, or for all. Unfortunately, depending on which part of the Bible is quoted out of context, or by moving from the Bible to speculative philosophy, his followers even disagree among ourselves about that. But in either case, He did so in behalf of a God who loves mercy and justice, because he is both good and loving.
A question that might be worth thinking about is whether we would be angry at the thought that maybe, just maybe, the terrorist had a change of heart, and fell on his knees before Jesus for mercy, five minutes before being brought to human justice.
Improbable? Yes. Possible?……
What if he was our son? What if she was our daughter?
Can we find peace in and among ourselves by realizing that the Jesus who died to show how much God loves us will be the same One who will judge the living and the dead, and that he will judge rightly– on terms that may or may not line up exactly with our own?