In Response to Boston

Tragedy
Came today;
Wounds to souls;
Psyches hurt
All seems lost.
Don't despair
In the storm
There's still hope

(to the tune of Taps"

            Once again tragedy has struck deep into the American ego.  On a day to remember those who stood up to tyranny, where thousands were out pushing themselves harder than they had before, and where many more were encouraging and celebrating with those who had worked so hard to achieve their goals, a senseless act occurred.  Lashing out, and as of this writing we do not know why, a person or group has caused many to be wounded-body, mind, soul, and spirit.  Death, maiming, and fear have taken the place of joy, accomplishment, and hope.  The clarion call for justice and retribution has been sounded.

            There is no doubt the bombing that took place near the finish line of the Boston Marathon has injured America and Americans in many ways.  Most of us cannot fathom experiencing such terror, and when events like these occur our souls and spirits are wounded.  There is fear, the fear of what if:  what if it had been me?  What if it occurs at my child’s game?  What if it is my neighbor/can I trust my neighbor not to be a home grown terrorist?  What if…? 

            Along with the fear there is a loss.  Obviously for the ones who lost loved ones or were wounded there is the physical loss.  For them and the rest of us there is the loss of security; the loss trust; the loss of hope and peace.  While most people will recover quickly and not have lasting effects upon their psyche, others will forever be marred.  Like one who has suffered the loss of a loved one, they may regain 100% functionality, but they will always have a scar of some sort that may flare up from time to time.  Sometimes the flare-up will be caused by a known trigger, and other times it will be like a tsunami that comes and overwhelms you without any warning.

            It could be easy to get lost in despair, to let the grief overcome us, to let fear rule us.  For some the fear may be masked by a call for justice or retribution.  Others may call for more laws and regulations.  Understanding that not all calls for justice, laws or regulation is fear based, we do need to be careful we do not over react.  We also need to remember that this is not the first time an event like this has been perpetrated on our soil nor will it be the last.  We have survived every time.  It does not mean we have not been hurt, that we have not lashed out, or every decision was a righteous decision.  What we have done is to rise again and again, dusting the dirt off of us, bandaging our wounds, learning from our mistakes, and kept moving forward. 

            As we think about and pray for those of Boston, Newtown, and other horrific events let us also remember that people every day suffer from life altering, traumatic episodes.  Many of these do not make the news because they are seen as part of life.  The loss of a loved one to disease or accident, being laid off from a job, raped or assaulted, fire, a dissolution of a relationship, addiction, and hundreds more everyday events occur causing injury to body and soul across the land.  We need to remember to keep these people in our prayers as well for the wounds they suffer are every way the same as to those that invoke national sympathy for the victims and outrage at the perpetrators.  This is not to take anything away from those who suffered from the bombs’ effects, but rather a reminder that tragedy occurs on a daily basis, and that we have, much too often, have become inured to its insidiousness.  It takes something large to shake our cynicism, our shield we have up to protect us, and thus we miss the hurts of others, and maybe our own as well.

            I do not always have the answers especially to when things go so terribly wrong.  I wish I did.  As a pastor I wish I could give great answers to why bad things happen to good people.  I am not always successful because I do not know.  Many times my answer is that God has given us free will, and because of this gift people have the choice of doing righteous or unrighteous actions.  Our actions impact others.  I cannot answer why some people emerge unscathed and some are maimed or killed, or why God intervenes and gives miracles to some and not to others.

            What I can tell you is that God has said he will be with us to the end.  That a peace that allows us to function, to move forward, and to trust can be ours even in the midst of conflict and storm.  We may be battered, God does not say it will be easy, we may still have questions, even Job didn’t get every question answered the way he wanted, but we will not be left alone, and that while there is breath there is hope.

 

May you find hope and peace this day.

Pastor Dave