Thoughts on Boston

The news hit me like a ton of bricks shortly after I sat down to breakfast this morning.

“There was a bombing in Boston, at the marathon.”

Jake shared what he'd heard – 2 dead, many more wounded, including loss of limbs.

I felt like someone had knocked the wind out of me and my heart was being squeezed in someone's fist.

I loaded Facebook on my phone and every status I scrolled past mentioned Boston. I opened the CNN site and started reading articles, filling myself in with more of the story.

I decided to go to chapel. I thought maybe it'd be what I needed right now.

But no one knew what had happened across the Atlantic. It wasn't mentioned in prayer, in announcements, or at any point in the chapel. The songs they were singing were upbeat and happy. I didn't feel like being happy. I felt like crying.

As I sat on the bench lost in my own world, I knew I couldn't be mad at the lack of knowledge. If the roles were reversed, would anyone back home know something had happened in Kenya? Probably not. So I don't blame anyone, because if I did that would be hypocritical.

Being across the world when this attack occurred has made me realize something. I don't want to be ignorant of this type of news around the world – especially news from Kenya – when I return home. Kenya will hold a piece of my heart; I can't just ignore what happens here when I'm no longer in the country. Whether or not the community around me is aware of news from Kenya, or other parts of the world, I hope to remain aware. This requires work on my part, as I'll have to seek it out because there won't be a lot of coverage on our news stations or in people's statuses. So I'm committing myself to try; I commit myself to care what happens in the world.

Halfway across the world, there's several people (mostly wazungu) who now are aware of what's gone on in Boston, and are praying – for Boston, for victims and families, and praying for the country. My heart still hurts as I watch more videos, see more pictures, read more articles. I pray that justice is done, that whomever decided to carry out this destruction is caught and punished. This region of the country has suffered a lot – from Sandy Hook, to Hurricane Sandy, to the shooting at the Marine base in Virginia. So I pray for the whole area, and for the whole country. And I know that God continues to have control despite the chaos.