How will you respond?

Boston Marathon

Do you have any runners in your family? If so, the Boston Marathon bombing probably hit a little close to home for you.  My younger brother, Steve, is an Ironman.  I’ve followed him in a race, cheering him on as he went.  I’ve been by his side, encouraging him along those last few steps, screaming for joy for him as he crossed the finish line.  My father has also run a marathon, where I’ve been there calling his name, cheering him on to the last step.  Never did I think either would be in danger of losing their legs or their lives as a result of their passion. It just shouldn’t happen in America.  But it did.

Hours after the first runner crossed the finish line a bomb went off followed by another seconds later, changing the race and the lives of the runners, spectators and a nation forever.

How do you respond to something like this? There are several ways:

• Runners, spectators, and workers took off running in every direction, trying to protect themselves, to find safety.
• One runner, a mother, and her sister who had been there to cheer her on, responded by taking care of the children around them, taking them to a safe location, answering their questions as much as possible without alarming them, and offering them comfort and security in a time of chaos.
• Allan Panter, a doctor who happened to be on the scene ran towards the trouble.  Even though there was a chance there could be more explosions, he ran towards the scene of the explosion and began administering medical care to those who needed immediate attention.  He took the skills and talents he had and used them to bless others.
• Seventy-eight year old Bill Iffrig, a man who has run 45 marathons in his lifetime, was lifted off his feet from the explosion and thrown to the ground. What did he do? He got back on his feet and he finished the race. He kept his eye on the prize and ran the race, not allowing the circumstances around him to derail him from his task at hand.

There are countless other ways people could have responded at the scene of the explosion.  The same can be said for those who witnessed the event on the news or heard about it from someone.

How did you respond when you learned about it?  Did you run to the television or radio to learn all you could about the situation? Did you call family or friends to discuss what happened? Did you go to your knees interceding for all involved?

We live in a dark world where trouble runs unchecked in many cases.  Jesus warned us there would be days like this.  In John 16:33 He said,

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”