Much has been made of the death of Osama Bin Laden in this last week. So much, in fact, that I’m getting kind of sleepy … call it OBL fatigue. Some are going so far as to question the validity of the reports and whether Osama’s actually dead or not; or if perhaps he assumed room temperature several years ago, and is only now being rolled out for the purposes of political gain and diversion. I’m not sophisticated enough to decipher all of that. Nor do I wish to try. I’m going to go ahead and assume that, as reported, he was killed this week by a brave US Navy SEAL team in his compound with two shots to the head. I will not conjecture upon the political strategies and ramifications. What I will do is ask a question of spiritual significance to all of us … especially those of us who make some claim of Christian faith. While I do have my own private opinions as to the nature of OBL’s destiny beyond his current watery grave, my own opinion of his (or anyone’s) eternal destiny is of absolutely no consequence whatsoever, as that is a question left to God and God alone. Therefore, I’ll keep those thoughts to myself. But here’s a thought that I won’t keep to myself … if indeed OBL could be what we might call “saved” through Jesus, would it require any more grace to do so than was required to save you or me? (Even as I write this, I can hear the grinding of many of your (and even my own) teeth … this is a very uncomfortable question to consider, given the devastating and horrific nature of his very public deeds). And why is it uncomfortable? I think it’s because we have this innate tendency to quantify the evil (or sin) of one person against that of another … or against our own, which in our discomfort with our own guilt, we prefer to mitigate, diminish, qualify, and justify whenever and however possible. And yes, I do it too.
But here’s an illustration that I ripped off from a pastor buddy of mine that seems to apply quite well to this question. If you and I (and OBL) were hanging over the edge of the Grand Canyon by a chain, how many links would have to break (i.e. sin) in order for us to freefall to the red rocks below? And will someone whom we believe to have more broken links (i.e. Osama) fall any faster than you or I, or be any more or less dead when all three if us smack the rocks a mile beneath our dangling feet?
To be fair, it’s easy to believe that a mass-murdering terrorist has more broken links than you or I do. After all, we never commissioned a group of bloody-eyed, hate-fueled disciples to fly airplanes into skyscrapers full of innocent people, or asked a 14 year-old kid to walk into a coffee shop with a bomb strapped to his chest on the promise of 72 virgins and eternal glory. But, is it any harder for us to assume the same about someone else … such as a stripper at Deja Vu for example, or an illegal alien (I know, that’s probably not the politically correct term), or a pregnant welfare recipient in the projects (with 6 previous kids and 6 different absentee dads already), or Joe-Gang-Banger, or a crystal meth pusher, or a crack-addicted hooker, or her pimp, or a democrat, or a republican, or a Tea Party member, or a sheet-wearing Klan member, or a drunken bowery bum, or someone of a different skin color, or a lesbian, or a drag queen, or a dog fighter, or a pornographer … even a child pornographer? It’s very easy for some of us to see these people as “those people,” and assign them to “a special place in hell.” It’s equally easy for us to assume that they’re in need of tons more of grace than we are with our little “innocent” and private pet sins, such as gossip, or envy, or pride, or emotional isolation from our wives or kids, or gambling, or usury, or private sexual shortcomings, or just plain selfishness, etc. (I don’t know about you, but I’ve got a few broken links just in that short list myself).
And please understand, I’m not suggesting that all sins carry equal earthly consequences … clearly they do not. But again … who hits the rocks harder at the bottom of the canyon … the international terrorist, or the drag queen, or the gossip? And as hard as it is for us to fathom … or maybe even accept at times; there’s a kind, mighty, and incomprehensible Hero at the bottom of that canyon … ready, willing, and able to catch all three. And here’s the incomprehensible and (very) uncomfortable part … he does so without making any distinctions between them. I know … I don’t get it either.
RandyNeff.com 
Randy, your insight never ceases to amaze me and I admire you for always being willing to say the things that are “uncomfortable” for us to ponder. I seem to dwell a lot lately on this exact topic of the grace of Christ being for “everyone”. It is indeed the same blood, the same grace and the same mercy that covers my sin of envy, pride, selfishness or gossip as covers the vilest of sins such as mass murders, serial killers, terrorist, rapist or child molesters AND everyone in between. BUT it is so uncomfortable for us to picture “those” people actually getting to a point where they would accept that forgiveness and grace, let alone that God could ever put in the past what they had done. And no, I don’t get it myself sometimes. It does at times seem unfair but I think that is the whole point: God’s grace is unfair in the human perspective. And I for one am so THANKFUL that it is unfair. I would hate to receive what I truly deserve. We just have to remember that parable of the workers hired at different times of the day. In the end what matters is: did we believe and have faith in the saving power of the blood of Christ. THAT is what gets us to heaven and as Peter says: the goal of our faith is the salvation of our souls. As God’s people we should NEVER want anyone to perish. We should want all sinners to come to Christ and enjoy, as we do, the freedom of being forgiven. Each human being was created by God. NOW THAT is what is hard to accept about these vile, horrible criminals and sinners. We often see them as less than human. But they are human, made by God just like you and me. Whatever has happened in their lives to turn them down the path they went… well, there but by the grace of God go I. Born under different circumstances, with different surroundings, lacking in support from others, etc. who knows what each of us would become. I guess it would be easier if our “little sins” of adultery, lust, hatred, greed, pornography, etc. were actual “crimes” that were punishable by the law of man. Maybe then we would have a harder time differentiating between “little sins” and “big sins”. We need to remember that God is in charge of vengeance and punishment. Remember how mad Jonah got at God for saving Nineveh? He went out and pouted and was so mad because God just forgave them. And God basically said to Jonah, “What’s it to you?”. I can’t help but think He will say the same to us one day. “What was it to you who I forgave”. Like God told Jonah, these are His creations and as hurt and sorrowful as He is about their sins, He still loves THEM, and has, all along their path of hate and destruction. That goes back to hate the sin, not the sinner. PLEASE DO NOT GET ME WRONG, I am not for a minute saying that those such as Bin Laden, Hitler, Charles Manson or any of the hundreds through the years like them, should not have been stopped at all cost or punished for their crimes (after all, even those who find the grace of God and forgiveness of the blood most often STILL have to endure the punishment for their choices and actions – people have been on death row who have found God) but what I think we must not miss here is that IF, and we all know what a big IF that is, any of those persons had called upon the name of God and believed and their hearts were right (which only God knows for sure) then they would have indeed been forgiven. Like you said, in the end we all hit the rocks at the bottom, and the difference in our landings depends solely on whether we are washed in the blood or not. One final sacrifice, one lamb without blemish, one selfless act of love! It covers ALL, it encompasses ALL and it is available to ALL who earnestly seek the freedom it brings.
Bless you my friend and PLEASE keep your fabulous thoughts coming because they challenge me to dig deep within myself and within HIS HOLY word. I am so proud to be a joint heir with you as we travel this path to our heavenly home.
Oh my goodness, Denise! Like I told you before … you should be writing this thing! What amazing insight and wisdom! I think you just wrote my next message at our church for me! There’s nothing I can add to your brilliant offering here, other than thank you for this … and most of all for your faithful friendship. Bless you, my friend … it is I who am so proud, and deeply challenged by you!