Should we rejoice in the death of a wicked enemy—like Osama bin Laden? Somehow this sounds contrary to Christian love.

This month we commemorate the tenth anniversary of the horrible events of Sept. 11, 2001. It's hard to separate wholesale terrorism from Osama bin Laden, his hatred of America, and his role in the carnage of 9/11. When bin Laden was killed in early May, newspaper headlines within and beyond the United States expressed joy over his death and praise for the military personnel who killed him. Is this acceptable Christian conduct? How should we react to the death of an enemy?

Maintain balance

Professing Christians were quick to express strong opinions in the wake of bin Laden's death and the subsequent celebrations. Some quoted God's words in Ezekiel 33:11, "I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked," and then rebuked all who expressed delight over the death of the Al-Qaeda's leader. Others were quick to defend their celebration by citing passages like, "Bloodthirsty and deceitful men the Lord abhors" (Psalm 5:6).

While both sides of the debate clearly used Scripture, they often failed to acknowledge that we're dealing with a more complex question that calls for a balanced and thoughtful reflection of the whole biblical perspective. It's not enough for Christians to "tweet [Bible] verses like they were fortune cookies," as one discerning observer commented. We wisely seek a more balanced answer. Sometimes the correct and helpful answer is not a simple "yes" or "no," but a "yes and no" answer that offers clarifications.

Make distinctions

Following Scripture and Luther, we maintain that God has established and uses two distinct spheres of authority on earth. This concept is commonly known as the "doctrine of the two kingdoms." The civil sphere deals mainly with people's physical, social lives as they interact with other people. God established and uses secular government with civil laws and force for this purpose. The spiritual sphere deals with people's souls and faith as they relate to Christ and the gospel. God established and uses his church to share his Word and sacraments for this purpose.

The purposes and tools of both divine institutions—church and state—are to be distinguished and appreciated. Rejoice in God's use of both. Pondering our role as church, we cannot and do not rejoice in the death of a wicked person who, as far as we know, repudiated Christ and faces an eternity in hell. But remembering the role and duty of government to restrain and punish those who seek to murder the innocent and terrorize millions, we rejoice that justice was served and an instrument of wickedness was stopped. This "yes and no" answer to celebrating the death of an evil person avoids over-simplifications of complex issues and maintains important distinctions.