Alan Cross blogs at Downshore Drift.
What a horrible day in Boston. Evil broke in again and shocked us all, although at this point, I don’t know why we should be surprised. The Aurora theatre shooting. Sandy Hook. Dr. Gosnell’s House of Horrors. Now, the Boston Marathon Bombings. Today, we all grieved with those in Boston and could not help but think back to 9/11.
But, there was another story being told today in Boston. When the bombs went off, people ran TO the victims to help instead of running away to save themselves. Howard Fineman of The Huffington Post writes:
“Today, rescuers were running toward the wounded on Boylston Street in acts of true heroism — running toward the sounds of the screams. In the end the terrorists will fail because Bostonians did not turn from their fellow man — they turned toward them. And that is the real music of mankind.”
There were other reports that the Marathon runners who were turned away from the finish line just a mile away kept running to local hospitals to give their own blood to help those in need. Think of it. Runners who had already run 25 miles, upon hearing the bombs and the carnage and knowing that people that they did not know were wounded and dying, ran further and gave their own blood to help save them.
http://twitchy.com/2013/04/15/amazing-boston-marathoners-reportedly-run-to-hospital-to-donate-blood/
Not turning away, but running toward the sounds of the screams to help those suffering. Giving their own blood to save the lives of others. This is what the Kingdom of God looks like. This is what Jesus did for us and what He calls us to do for others.
In the midst of so much darkness and violence and pain, today, God showed up and the eternity written on the hearts of men (Eccl. 3:11) reflected a Story more true than all of the evil that can be unleashed on the world. Heroism and sacrifice and laying down one’s life for another still exists in this world. Light still triumphs over darkness.
The Church is to be that Light in the world as we also run into the smoke and the carnage and toward the screams of mankind suffering. We are not to run away to save ourselves. We are to shed our own blood if necessary to help those being run over by the evil in this world. That is what Jesus did for us. How can we not do it for others?
Consider the rescue workers and average people who ran into the smoke to help those in need. Consider the Marathon runners who KEPT running to the hospital to give their own blood to those hurting. THAT is the kind of life we need to live all the time, everyday.
Light still triumphs over darkness.