Bombs Kill and Maim at Boston Marathon

On Monday, as the Boston Marathon was nearing completion and many runners were nearing the finish line on that city's Boylston Street, two bombs, 12 seconds apart, ripped through the watching crowds, killing three people and wounding 183 others, some of them critically. Several people had to have amputations of one or more limbs.
Almost immediately, both emergency personnel and ordinary citizens rushed in to help the injured.
As of our publishing time (on Thursday) no individual or group has admitted to perpetrating the attack, but national law-enforcement units, several Capitol Hill lawmakers and President Obama have described the blasts as acts of "terrorism." A major investigation under the direction of the FBI is underway to identify and apprehend the individual or group that perpetrated this crime.
A theme of this year's marathon was "26 Miles for 26 Victims," referring to those killed in the Newtown, Conn., school shooting. The day had begun with a moment of silence to remember the Newtown victims, and there were 26 seconds of silence observed at the starting line before each wave of runners began. Relatives of those killed in the Sandy Hook school massacre were guests at the finish line tent, near where the bombing occurred.
As one commentator pointed out, the bombings serve as a fresh reminder of a hard lesson learned on 9/11 -- the reality in which "it can't happen here" has been replaced by "it can happen anywhere."
Or, as one TWW team member put it, it's not so much a replacement of one "reality" by another, but a greater readiness to recognize the reality that always existed. Blogger Jim Barrett wrote, "What kind of scares me is that I wasn't that shocked. I was actually surprised that it took this long for something like this to happen."
Juan Carlos Zarate, deputy national security adviser under President George W. Bush, told the Los Angeles Times, "In some ways, this ruptures the psyche. Now we have that soft target hit that we have imagined but not seen ... since 9/11. We don't know who perpetrated it -- we'll have to see. But regardless, it shatters the sense of security we've had, especially coming at an event like this."
As this is a developing story, be sure to check national news for updates.
More on this story can be found at these links:
3 Killed, More Than 140 Hurt by Bombs at Marathon. Boston Globe
Amid Shock at Marathon, a Rush to Help Strangers. Boston Globe
Boston Bombings Shatter a National Sense of Safety. Los Angeles Times
It Can Happen Anywhere. CNN
There Is No Finish Line. New Republic
The Boston Marathon Bombing: Keep Calm and Carry On. The Atlantic
The Big Questions
1. How do we go about our lives as people of faith in a dangerous world?
2. How do we deal emotionally with situations that leave us feeling powerless? How do we deal spiritually with such situations?
3. How does Christian hope, based on God's kingdom yet to fully come, help us in a world where both good and evil are realities?
4. How many personal freedoms are you willing to surrender in the hope of being safer? How many such sacrifices would actually make you significantly safer?
5. Jesus said, "Pray for those who persecute you." For what specifically should we ask when praying for terrorists? How does Christ's instruction to love our enemies apply to those who perpetrate acts of terrorism? Does loving one’s enemies mean that one no longer opposes their actions or no longer fights against them?
Confronting the News With Scripture and Hope
Here are some Bible verses to guide your discussion:
2 Samuel 7:10
And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may live in their own place, and be disturbed no more; and evildoers shall afflict them no more, as formerly ... (For context, read 7:1-17.)
If we read this verse by itself -- out of context -- it sounds like the sort of thing God might have said to one of the Israelite leaders -- say Moses or Joshua -- before the people were established in Canaan. But in context, this verse is something of a surprise. God says this to David after all the Israelite tribes had accepted David as their king, after David as king had extended the boundaries of Israel, after David had established Jerusalem as the royal city and after "the LORD had given [David] rest from all his enemies around him" (v. 1).
The nation under David was more secure than it ever had been, but in the midst of God telling David that his dynasty would be established as Israel's successive rulers, God makes the promise quoted above. It's as if to say that no matter what arrangements we mortals might make or how "secure" we think we have things, the place of ultimate security, where "evildoers shall afflict [us] no more," is in God's kingdom to come, not in empires of earth.
Questions: Do you agree or disagree with Mr. Zarate that the Boston bombing event "ruptures the [national] psyche"? Did 9/11 already do that? Are you more hesitant now to attend public events that draw crowds of people? Why or why not? Are you, or those you speak with, reacting with less fear than after 9/11?
Psalm 23:5
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. (For context, read 23:1-6.)
Psalm 23 comes out of the Middle Eastern world, where in biblical times, there were strong traditions about hospitality. For example, a man being pursued by enemies could run to someone's tent and, even if that were the tent of a foe, he could ask for refuge. Custom dictated that the tent owner not only take that person in, but also prepare a meal for him. His enemies could stand and glare outside the tent, but could do no more as long as the pursued person remained inside. "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies."
In World War II, during the bombing of London by the Germans, this verse from Psalm 23 was a favorite one for Communion services -- even in one instance where the service continued while part of the church building was hit. The Lord's Supper was God's table spread for worshipers, and it continued to nourish them spiritually even while their city was under attack.
Questions: In what literal ways does God spread a table before us even in the presence of enemies? In what spiritual ways does God spread a table before us? What obligation might we have toward those whose tables contain less than ours? When have you broken bread with people you considered enemies and become reconciled, or, on the other hand, have remained enemies? What are your feelings about reconciliation with those who consider themselves our enemies, or those you consider your enemy?
Proverbs 12:3
No one finds security by wickedness, but the root of the righteous will never be moved. (No context needed.)
This pearl of wisdom from Proverbs is echoed in other words throughout much of Scripture. The wicked may have their day, but no ultimate tomorrow. The righteous, on the other hand, have today and the ultimate tomorrow.
Questions: Does this biblical testimony help when you have lost a loved one? Is it possible to take the long view of justice when our wounds are still raw? Think of wars that are long past. What are your feelings about atrocities committed during World War II? The Korean or Vietnam War? How much time must pass before we can take a longer view regarding the arc of justice?
John 1:5
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. (For context, read 1:1-14.)
In the Gospel of John, "light" is used to symbolize the way in which God and Christ are present to sustain creation, and John refers to Jesus as "the light of the world." It is this divine light that dispels "darkness," which in John symbolizes chaos, evil and the realm of those who oppose the good. This darkness is real and is hostile to light, which exposes evil for what it is. But try as it might, darkness and all that it represents cannot extinguish light.
Questions: How does John's testimony about Jesus and the light shape your attitude toward life? Part of the meaning behind the original language of the John text is that the darkness doesn't understand the light, doesn't "get" it. Does it seem as if there are those who don't "get" the effects of their atrocities? What past United States actions might be viewed as atrocities that our nation justified at the time?
Hebrews 12:28
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us give thanks, by which we offer to God an acceptable worship with reverence and awe ... (For context, read 12:25-29.)
In the verses immediately preceding verse 28, the author of Hebrews talks about God's voice shaking the earth. Then he quotes God as saying, "Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heaven" (v. 26). The writer goes on to say that this "indicates the removal of what is shaken -- that is, created things -- so that what cannot be shaken [the kingdom of God] may remain" (v. 27). He adds then, in the verse quoted above,  "Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us give thanks ...."
The Hebrew author's point is that there is no guarantee that the earth or the things on it will remain steady and survive forever. Life, in fact, is constantly being shaken up. But these verses from Hebrews remind us that God's kingdom, the realm where Christians have their other citizenship, cannot be shaken or destroyed. And by extension, that means that we have a haven of ultimate security.
Questions: To what degree does the promise of an unshakeable kingdom to come at the end of time help you deal with present fears in this world? To what degree should it help?
For Further Discussion
1. One TWW team member who lives near Fargo, North Dakota, said she was concerned that the bombing at the Boston Marathon may cause an overreaction elsewhere: "The Fargo Marathon, held in May, was started several years back and has grown to be a big deal. [After the Boston bombing], the founder/head of the Fargo marathon organization said they would be working to add security to the route -- though, of course, they've always taken steps to keep it secure.
    "Fargo isn't exactly a city you think of as ever being the target of terrorists. It reminds me of 9/11, when all our local malls closed down after the bombings out east -- as if the terrorists really had us in their sights! Ha! (Of course, I know everyone was frightened and just reacted and did what they felt they had to do; were I in charge, God forbid, I probably would have done the same.)
    "But really?? Get hyper-vigilant about security at the Fargo Marathon?? Seems extreme to me. Of course you want appropriate levels of security in place, but life is risky and we can't prevent or escape every potential threat. If we live in fear, we miss out on a lot of opportunities. And yes, I can see many ways in which that carries over into church and congregations -- living by fear rather than by faith."
     Respond to her observations in light of these comments from another team member: "Yes, the Fargo Marathon could be a target (as is any large sports event), yet it is less likely mainly because other events have more visibility. Questions of trade-offs regarding 'security' at public events evidence a wide variety of viewpoints -- and what some see as common-sense security measures are seen by others as making things more risky. And, of course, if something bad happens, any lack of 'hyper-vigilance' would be brought to the fore in the 'wrongful death' lawsuits to follow. No easy answers. More precisely, there are many factors and the culture as well which make things more difficult."
2. Respond to this, from another TWW team member: "I am a former marathon runner -- a very slow marathon runner. The marathon is an amazing public event, open to everyone. You can take your glove to the ballgame but you don't get to join the team on the field. You can wear the most expensive basketball shoes, but you don't get to take the court with the big guys in the NBA (or the big girls in the WNBA). But anyone can run with the world-class athletes in the marathon. That was always amazing to me. I'd be warming up, hoping to break four hours, but the thin Kenyans and Ethiopians were competing on the same course with me. There was a spot in the Long Beach Marathon where the course looped back towards itself. The elite runners, eight miles ahead of me, and with no physical outward sign of strain, would glide by going the other direction. I enjoyed that moment each year.
    "I'm also humbled because I am part of the same church as the saints and the martyrs, of prayer warriors whose very humility makes them look the same as everyone around them (though I know better), as well as [modern] prophets ... whose lifestyle and message pierces my heart and makes me strive to do better. There aren't two churches, there isn't a major league and a Sunday afternoon softball league when it comes to the Christian faith. Dante saw it right. At first Heaven looked layered, with people at the circles of the moon and stars and sun, but in the last cantos of the Paradiso when he looked again, all the saints were part of the great rose, a stadium-like structure with God at the center where everyone is part of the great everything."
3. Respond to this, from yet another TWW team member: "When I was the pastor in a little community in rural Ohio, our parsonage was situated across the highway from the church building. From our front window, we could see the church and the village green in front of it. From our side window, we looked at the town hall and, next to it, a large evergreen tree. Each December, we looked out these two windows at symbols of Christmas. On the village green, a life-sized nativity scene was erected, and in the town hall yard, the live evergreen tree was decorated with lights and served as the community Christmas tree.
    "One Christmas, some person or persons, under the cover of darkness, snuck into the town hall yard and cut the tree down. They left it lying on the ground, still lit up. It occurred to me that some people don't want to be reminded of the everlasting light of God. Perhaps the perpetrators of this deed didn't think of it that way, but it really was more than a childish prank; I think it was an expression of the darkness in their hearts and how far they were from Christ who is the light of the world.
    "We could see that tree from our house, but we could also see the nativity scene. There was a spotlight on the scene that burned all the time. During the daylight, it added nothing to the scene, but in the darkness of night, the spot of light glorified the nativity. Often, before going to bed, I would look out of my window at this symbol of Christmas.
    "Ironically, it was the very darkness, the symbol of chaos and wrong, that made the light so dramatic in its effect."
4. Martin Luther King Jr. said, "When evil men plot, good men must plan. When evil men burn and bomb, good men must build and bind. When evil men shout ugly words of hatred, good men must commit themselves to the glories of love." Where did you see this played out in the Boston Marathon situation?
5. In President Franklin Roosevelt's First Inaugural Address, he said, "So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself -- nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance." Is this a stance that is supported by the Bible? Why or why not?
Responding to the News
This is a time to pray for the victims of the bombings and their families and for those who must now investigate and make decisions about public safety.
Closing Prayer
O God, we pray that the hope that is ours through faith in Christ will enable us to speak that hope to the world, even in times of great threat. Please grant wisdom, courage and perseverance to all who work for peace and justice. In Jesus' name. Amen.