Last year, I watched the beginning of the marathon by Boston College, my usual spot. It was a gorgeous day. An old friend was in town visiting for the weekend and we were loving the excitement and energy, sporting our awesome t-shirts.
After a couple hours of cheering, we decided to head downtown to the finish line. I knew it was my last year as a live spectator because I'd be moving out of state in just a few months, and it was my friend's potentially only time to see the Boston Marathon, so why not get the full experience? We never could have imagined what would happen just minutes after we arrived downtown. I won't recount the details here because I still just don't have words. But I will say that one year later, looking back, April 15, 2013 felt like a Good Friday. It was a day of death, violence, destruction, terror. Lives were lost. Lives were forever changed. So much sadness, so much pain, so much confusion. A day that had always been filled with joy was ruined.
I don't believe that God makes bad things happen, but I absolutely believe that God is present in the most horrific experiences, and is able to bring good from bad, life from death, and hope from despair.
Today, the 118th Boston Marathon, feels like a resurrection of sorts. I don't think it's a coincidence that it fell the day after Easter this year. It has been an incredibly challenging year for the people mourning the loss of loved ones and the people beginning their long physical and mental recoveries, with surgery after surgery, literally rebuilding their broken bodies one day at a time. Today, the sun is shining. There are more runners than ever, more spectators than ever, and I would dare to say there is more determination and more love than ever...as the city of Boston and the global running community reclaim this day as a day of hope, a day of triumph over tragedy, and light over darkness. So much grace. Boston Strong.
No comments:
Post a Comment