It's over... mostly.
After a week of fear and absolute terror suspect #1 in the Boston Marathon bombings has been apprehended and suspect #2 is in custody.
I have had such mixed emotions from this whole experience this week.
I'm sure if I was a runner or if I actually lived in Boston I may see things a little differently, but I hope not.
Friday, during the manhunt, as more and more vague details about the Tsarnaev brothers began to come out I found myself praying harder than I had all week.
But I have a feeling that the prayers I was saying were different from the prayers most people were saying. I know from a quick scan of social media that they were. My prayers did not involve racial/ethnic slurs or curse words. My prayers did not revolve around continued violence. My prayers were for peace... not just for Boston, but for the 19 year old kid hiding somewhere, most likely injured and probably terrified beyond belief.
Now, while some people may respond "good, he should be terrified", I just can't do that.
He's only 19, and from what his friends and family say, he seems to be a "good" kid. So, what drove him to commit such a heinous crime on Monday? What drove him to join his brother in murdering not only marathon spectators, but also a security guard at MIT? What causes a "good kid" to do such an "evil" thing?
Probably some of the same things that cause you or I to do stupid things that hurt other people. While our stupidity may not physically injure someone. I know that I personally have done some stupid things that have broken someone's heart and completely caused them to lose faith not only in me, but in humanity. I'm sure I'm not the only one.
The world is full of brokenness. The world is messed up. Bad things happen to good people. And yes, sometimes good people do bad things.
It's always been that way, and it always will be.
Until Christ comes again.
Until the Kingdom of God is here.
So, what are we supposed to do about it?
After a week of fear and absolute terror suspect #1 in the Boston Marathon bombings has been apprehended and suspect #2 is in custody.
I have had such mixed emotions from this whole experience this week.
I'm sure if I was a runner or if I actually lived in Boston I may see things a little differently, but I hope not.
Friday, during the manhunt, as more and more vague details about the Tsarnaev brothers began to come out I found myself praying harder than I had all week.
But I have a feeling that the prayers I was saying were different from the prayers most people were saying. I know from a quick scan of social media that they were. My prayers did not involve racial/ethnic slurs or curse words. My prayers did not revolve around continued violence. My prayers were for peace... not just for Boston, but for the 19 year old kid hiding somewhere, most likely injured and probably terrified beyond belief.
Now, while some people may respond "good, he should be terrified", I just can't do that.
He's only 19, and from what his friends and family say, he seems to be a "good" kid. So, what drove him to commit such a heinous crime on Monday? What drove him to join his brother in murdering not only marathon spectators, but also a security guard at MIT? What causes a "good kid" to do such an "evil" thing?
Probably some of the same things that cause you or I to do stupid things that hurt other people. While our stupidity may not physically injure someone. I know that I personally have done some stupid things that have broken someone's heart and completely caused them to lose faith not only in me, but in humanity. I'm sure I'm not the only one.
The world is full of brokenness. The world is messed up. Bad things happen to good people. And yes, sometimes good people do bad things.
It's always been that way, and it always will be.
Until Christ comes again.
Until the Kingdom of God is here.
So, what are we supposed to do about it?
Well, how about we fight the cultural peer pressure to demand retribution?
How about we stand up and say "NO" when we hear people saying that we need to ignore the constitution and use any means necessary to get the answers we are looking for.
How about we turn to our faith.
I for one will pray for not
just the people killed and injured in the marathon this week.
I will pray for more than just the first responders and the police.
I will continue to pray for
Tsozhar.
I pray that
our nation treats him with the kind of justice that God speaks of, a justice
which though it is difficult to embrace, nonetheless seeks mercy instead of
vengeance. I will pray for a justice which rejoices in a loving and forgiving God instead of
instituting retributive violence.
If we do that,
we will truly witness to the world the kind of God we serve.
