Boston Marathon
2013: in an act of terrorism, whether foreign or domestic, two bombs were set off near the finish line .
As of the last update I read, three are dead and at least 130 injured. At this point no one knows the who are why
and by why I mean the reasons the people will give because there isn't a why
that I will every understand or fathom.
As many others, I
can't look at the scenes they are showing on the news and not be overwhelmed
with the same feelings I felt on 9/11.
While obviously, the scale of this act is much smaller, there are still
people not going home to their families tonight because of this insane, EVIL
act. For at least three, there will be a
permanent hole in their lives. There are families that will never understand
WHY someone would do this because there the very act is unfathomable for most
of us. I think to myself, is this the world that I am raising my children
in? Was I being responsible by bringing
children into a world where such evil exists?
Then I am reminded that some people live every day in fear of bombings,
like a blog I follow, called A Soldier's Mother
(israelisoldiersmother.blogspot.com).
She lives in Israel where bomb shelters and sirens are a daily part of
life. Yet, her posts still are alive
with hope and love for her country.
Perspective. I will strive to follow her lead.
I have spent a large
part of the day, just sitting here perusing the internet and Facebook for
updates while doing school work. I have
found myself shedding tears quite a few times, not just out of sadness and
anger for what has happened, but because I am reminded of 9/11 in another way.
I am reminded of just how we can come together in times like these. We spend so much time as a nation and as a
people divided and fighting against each other.
However, in times like these, we are one. You just have to peruse social
media to see this spirit:
~In Columbus, GA, my
hometown, a group of runners met at a local running club this evening and ran
in honor of the Boston victims, just hours after the bombing.
~There are
reports that Boston Marathon runners who ran to local hospitals to see if they could give
blood or help in any way
~local restaurants who are having a "pay if/what
you can policy"
~locals who are offering to open their homes to complete
strangers
~Google immediately set up a website to allow people to
connect with each other in the wake of the tragedy.
~There are videos showing people running INTO
the blast area to help the injured.
You see, a tragedy
like this can take us to the depths of darkness, but this is the light that can
pull us out. It is the strength and
compassion of the human spirit for each other. It is what shows us that at the
heart of the human spirit lies the most important thing of all…love, love for your fellow man. I think in moments like this that Jesus would
be proud. Of course, he'd be prouder if
we were like this all the time.
So, to the
terrorists who did this, you will never win, because we will not allow you to crush our hope, nor
our compassion and love. As long as we have that, you lose. You always will in the end.
As one friend said
so eloquently, "Love and kindness and goodness are the whole sky. The
bastards are a small cloud, full of themselves and their importance, blocking
the sun for a second, and evaporating in its heat."
