Boston Marathon 2013

2 Dead, Dozens injured

Is any place safe anymore?

 

That’s the question on everyone’s mind. Spectators at a race, children in a classroom, movie goers at a theater; events we once attended without question are now causes for concern. Is any place safe?

No Virginia, there is no safety. Life is messy. Life is dangerous. Life is painful and hard. No one gets out alive.

Today 2 innocent people died on the streets of Boston

Elsewhere:

2 children died riding their bikes

11 people died in accidents in their home

Over 100 people died in car accidents

1500 people died from cancer

Life is not safe. Things happen that we have no control over. All we can control is our response to what happens to us and around us. In the face of what happened in Boston it is tempting to want to just stay home, hide under the covers, barricade ourselves from life and live in fear of “what if?”

Fear leads to mistrust, suspicion, isolation and depression. Fear tells us to turn away when someone needs help. Fear causes us to horde our possessions instead of sharing with the less fortunate.

If we succumb to fear, then the terrorists win. If we lock down our lives, give up freedom in exchange for safety, evil wins. We cease to live and merely exist.

We have a choice.  We can live in fear or we can live in hope. We can stand on the sidelines and moan about how terrible things are or we can step into the fray and help the hurting. It is messy in there, it is dirty and chaotic, but in choosing to embrace life in all its messiness instead of running from it, we help Love to grow and spread.  Where evil flourishes, grace abounds still more.

In the videos taken right after the explosions, I saw a young man tear off his shirt to bind the wound of a young woman on the ground. I saw police officers and medical personnel running toward the injured even as a second blast reverberated off the surrounding buildings. As Americans our instinct is to rise up against evil, not to hide. We will not let it win.

I’ve read the end of the book. I know Love wins. I choose to be on the winning side. I choose to believe that love will prevail.

If you’ll excuse me, I’m heading out for a training run. I’m going to a race next month.  Will you join me?