Sacred Spirit and healer of our souls, in the chaos of yesterday help us to see your presence and remind us of those around the world for whom the events of Boston are sometimes an everyday occurrance. Help us not to respond simply from the pain and anger but to seek instead your grace and hope in the midst of death and suffering. Amen
This world is filled with struggles, suffering and pain. That news should not be shocking to anyone. All around the world evil strikes out and seeks to inflict destruction. Often that destruction and evil produces cycles of destruction and evil fed by more pain and more anger. This pain and anger stretches not just across generations like the Hatfields and McCoys, but across centuries and millenia like the struggles in the Middle East. Spiraling forward the cycles widen and widen engulfing ever more people in the pain.
The bigger and more powerful frequently win temporary victories by exerting their will for a time but inevitably the offense is always remembered and the anger and battle for retribution strikes out again. It is so easy to want that eye or that tooth and to lay in wait for the nexy opportunity.
All of this is what makes Jesus response to his oppressors so confusing. He speaks about how the death of the Messiah is coming, then calls Peter Satan for proclaiming he will defend him to the death. Jesus speaks of buying swords but the moment they are used in his defense he immediately says, "Stop," and says he could call legions and legions of heavenly host to his defense.
This Jesus whose death and resurrection we have just celebrated has an odd way of conquering the world. In the face of injustice he submits to the risk of death and embraces it.
Yesterday, on full display for all to see in the face of the evil that assaulted runners and fans, individuals and families, there was the best of humanity, as well. Almost instantaneously in the moments after the explosions people were all running towards the danger, all running to the aid of those injured and maimed.
These people, police, emergency medical services, event staff, and other fans and spectators descended on the two explosion sites to offer aid and assistance. They ran into the smoke and chaos not knowing what they would find. The scene and the aftermath was amazing in the way in which people responded willingly risking themselves and their lives for others.
Between the bomb sites 3 people were killed and 176+ ended up in hospitals and many more had injuries treatable at the site. Consider that for a moment. Thanks be to God for all of those who responded in aid without concern for their own safety. People for whom the immediate needs of others was the priority in their life.
As a Christian that will of Christ to accept all of the hate, pain, and anger of the world directed wrongly at him still could not dissuade him from his willingness to go to the cross. It couldn't keep him from Jerusalem. It couldn't keep him from the Garden of Gethsemene. It couldn't keep him from the cross. He willingly ran towards the danger to rescue the masses, deserving? and undeserving, He accepted that his life was something that could be given for others.
Paul writes in Romans that someone might dare to die for a good man but that Christ died for us while we were yet still enemies of God.
How will the events of the last 24 hours play out, I don't know. But I do know that those running towards the danger had much more in common with Christ and the life I seek to live than paying back hate for hate, pain for pain, and anger for anger. I can only hope that the Spirit of Christ can help me to accept the constant risksof serving others keeping me on that path whatever the danger.
This world is filled with struggles, suffering and pain. That news should not be shocking to anyone. All around the world evil strikes out and seeks to inflict destruction. Often that destruction and evil produces cycles of destruction and evil fed by more pain and more anger. This pain and anger stretches not just across generations like the Hatfields and McCoys, but across centuries and millenia like the struggles in the Middle East. Spiraling forward the cycles widen and widen engulfing ever more people in the pain.
The bigger and more powerful frequently win temporary victories by exerting their will for a time but inevitably the offense is always remembered and the anger and battle for retribution strikes out again. It is so easy to want that eye or that tooth and to lay in wait for the nexy opportunity.
All of this is what makes Jesus response to his oppressors so confusing. He speaks about how the death of the Messiah is coming, then calls Peter Satan for proclaiming he will defend him to the death. Jesus speaks of buying swords but the moment they are used in his defense he immediately says, "Stop," and says he could call legions and legions of heavenly host to his defense.
This Jesus whose death and resurrection we have just celebrated has an odd way of conquering the world. In the face of injustice he submits to the risk of death and embraces it.
Yesterday, on full display for all to see in the face of the evil that assaulted runners and fans, individuals and families, there was the best of humanity, as well. Almost instantaneously in the moments after the explosions people were all running towards the danger, all running to the aid of those injured and maimed.
These people, police, emergency medical services, event staff, and other fans and spectators descended on the two explosion sites to offer aid and assistance. They ran into the smoke and chaos not knowing what they would find. The scene and the aftermath was amazing in the way in which people responded willingly risking themselves and their lives for others.
Between the bomb sites 3 people were killed and 176+ ended up in hospitals and many more had injuries treatable at the site. Consider that for a moment. Thanks be to God for all of those who responded in aid without concern for their own safety. People for whom the immediate needs of others was the priority in their life.
As a Christian that will of Christ to accept all of the hate, pain, and anger of the world directed wrongly at him still could not dissuade him from his willingness to go to the cross. It couldn't keep him from Jerusalem. It couldn't keep him from the Garden of Gethsemene. It couldn't keep him from the cross. He willingly ran towards the danger to rescue the masses, deserving? and undeserving, He accepted that his life was something that could be given for others.
Paul writes in Romans that someone might dare to die for a good man but that Christ died for us while we were yet still enemies of God.
How will the events of the last 24 hours play out, I don't know. But I do know that those running towards the danger had much more in common with Christ and the life I seek to live than paying back hate for hate, pain for pain, and anger for anger. I can only hope that the Spirit of Christ can help me to accept the constant risksof serving others keeping me on that path whatever the danger.
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