26 miles for 26 lives: The terror at the Boston Marathon

The 2013 Boston Marathon runners had a love for running and a goal to finish the race. They did not expect to make history. They ran for the sheer adrenaline rush, for the ones who can no longer run, for the ones they love.
Monday, April 15, 2013, also known as Patriot’s Day, is another date to add to the history books for terrorism in America.  Two bombs exploded near the finish line shortly after the first runners crossed the finish line at approximately 2:50 p.m. EST.
The Boston Marathon took place in honor of the Sandy Hook shootings: 26 miles for 26 lives. Little did they all know, three more lives would be lost and more than 150 added to the wounded list.
Many would say this was a cowardice act and wish the same type of tragedy on the guilty. I happen to agree. Would that actually be of any help? I realize it would not, so instead I turn to something different: compassion.
The victims need prayer. I want to lend a hand to anyone in pain so much that it hurts when I cannot. If I could go, I would, but I know I would be in the way. The best thing I can do is pray.
The challenge I propose to all of us is to pray every day for the victims. Pray for the doctors to have wisdom as they treat the victims. Pray for the three families who lost their loved ones.
Simply pray.
No words can wipe away the nightmares the victims experienced. No amount of hugs can make the images of carnage disappear.
Many people will question why God didn’t protect those runners or the innocent bystanders. I only have one answer. When God gave the earth to Adam, in Genesis, he gave it to him to guard and protect. When Adam and Eve ate the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, it opened their eyes to the knowledge of evil. Because of sin 9/11, the Oklahoma City bombings, Sandy Hook, Virginia Tech, Columbine and many other tragedies occured.
According to Ephesians 6:12, our battle is against the spiritual forces of evil, not flesh and blood. Whatever we do, we can’t blame anyone for what has happened, let alone people who only look like the ones we want to blame.
The blame game only hurts us. We have to find a way to help. This is why I issued this challenge to pray.
We have to stop worrying about who did it and just pray. It is the only way we as a people will find any semblance of peace. Let the authorities take care of who, what, when and why. Pray.
Do this to honor the dead both in the marathon and Sandy Hook. Dedicate your day to praying for the families of this nation who have lost loved ones to heinous acts of terror, including the men and women who died to give us the right to pray openly. Then don’t just stop with one day; make it a habit. This is the only way America as a whole will begin to heal.