Pastoral Message

I have hesitated in composing anything in reaction to the Boston Marathon bombings and their aftermath because, frankly, I did not know what to say. I still don't. The mix of emotions is too confusing.

I think I can observe that an event like this tugs mightily at our interconnectivity. Some of us have relatives and friend in the Boston area. In this violence towards innocents, many of us will feel reminded of the same kind of violence that occurred in our very neighborhood a couple of years ago. But even those of us with no immediate connection to either event felt that bomb blast in our hearts. We ache for the families of the victims and even for the families of the perpetrators.

Such an event has also brought to light the fact that there are places all over the world where events like this are far, far more common than they are here. And so our heart breaks for the whole world. Our identity expands so that when the FBI and local authorities identify and capture the remaining suspect, we feel a pride in ourselves way out here in Tucson. We feel part of the tragedy and the justice seeking.

My emotions then run from indignation, to fear, to sorrow and depression, to pride, to guilt to relief and gratitude. It is too much. And yet in some ways it is the same set of emotions that we encounter in much of life and any death.

I want to know why. Why was this done? Yet even as I wonder, I am aware that no answer could suffice. And as we begin to deconstruct the event and persons involved, I fear that all of it will become politicized and reduced to ammunition in both sides of the on-going wars of identity at home and internationally. Somehow this tragedy will become something to argue about, which is an indignity. And so tragedy is heaped on tragedy.

I am left with only two options that offer any redeeming hope.

Love who you love. Love them with so much gratitude and enthusiasm that they are in your life at this moment. Love them right now and unfettered. Hug them. Call them. Kiss them. Look at the stars with them. Smell them. Revel in their presence. All of them. That's one response.

The other is to love your enemy. Meet hate with love. Meet spite with love. Meet affront and offense with love. Meet self criticism with love. Nothing else is capable of the lasting change necessary to irradiate the cycles of violence that have crippled our human opportunity. Nothing else.

In fact, if I could inspire you to anything this week, it would be this: encounter a moment where you are receiving hate or spite or offense or indignity (not a difficult task, I'm afraid), note it, and respond with love. Respond with a bounty of love. What does that look like? What would that feel like? What would that actually do? Is that even possible?

You'll find out.

Mercy and grace.

~ Pastor Ron