Prayers for Boston

As President Obama said tonight, "On days like today, we are all Americans." We are also all Bostonians. It doesn't matter if you live in Boston, have lived in Boston, or know someone who lives in Boston. On days like today, as Americans, as patriots, and as humans, we are offended. We are angered. We are devastated.

And we should be. We should be offended. We should be angry. We should be devastated. Events like today are--quite simply--unacceptable.

Today, Patriots' Day: a day with a long-standing history of people coming together in camaraderie and celebration. Contrary to what some outside of Boston and Massachusetts might think, it's not just a day when a bunch of people come to the city to run. It is so much more than that. Spectators, supporters, charities, athletes: all of these people come together to support each other, to support a cause, to support their family and friends. Patriots' Day, it's so much more than a holiday.

And now someone has tried to make this day a tragedy. An eight-year-old boy is dead and so many others are injured. The individual or group responsible has turned a joyous, terrific, uplifting occasion into a panicked, horrific, violent tragedy. And that is not acceptable.

But what this person or group does not yet realize, is that they will not win. They may have succeeded in hurting so many people and the city of Boston today, but they will not win in the end. This city has too much heart and too much fight in it. Whoever did this seriously underestimated this city and the people who live here. Though some may continue to try, terror will not define this city or this country.

I am proud to have called the city of Boston my home. I am proud to call the heroes who emerged from today's devastation my fellow Americans. I am proud to know that Boston's finest and all of the emergency personnel have responded so tremendously today. The Boston College motto states, "Men and women for others," and as a BC Eagle I am proud to see that motto in action in Boston today.

While driving home from work tonight, I tried to process what transpired today. I tried to discern why someone might do this. Of course, I found no answers. And sufficient answers may never be found. But while I was driving home, looking for understanding, Taylor Swift's song "Change" came on my iPod. If you don't know the song, it was used in the 2008 Summer Olympics. As the song played, I listened to the lyrics and realized how appropriate the song is for how we will likely respond to today's events in the weeks to come. While some of the song clearly relates to the Games, the song still very much applies, given that today's violence occurred at such a prestigious athletic event celebrating physical and mental strength...

"And it’s a sad picture, the final blow hits you
Somebody else gets what you wanted again
You know it’s all the same, another time and place
Repeating history and you’re getting sick of it
But I believe in whatever you do
And I’ll do anything to see it through

Because these things will change
Can you feel it now?
These walls that they put up to hold us back will fall down
This revolution, the time will come
For us to finally win
And we’ll sing hallelujah, we’ll sing hallelujah

So we’ve been outnumbered
Raided and now cornered
It’s hard to fight when the fight ain’t fair
We’re getting stronger now
Find things they never found
They might be bigger
But we’re faster and never scared
You can walk away, say we don’t need this
But there’s something in your eyes
Says we can beat this

Because these things will change
Can you feel it now?
These walls that they put up to hold us back will fall down
This revolution, the time will come
For us to finally win
And we’ll sing hallelujah, well sing hallelujah

Tonight we stand, get off our knees
Fight for what we’ve worked for all these years
And the battle was long, it’s the fight of our lives
But we’ll stand up champions tonight

It was the night things changed
Can you see it now?
These walls that they put up to hold us back fell down
It’s a revolution, throw your hands up
Cause we never gave in
And we sang hallelujah, we sang hallelujah
Hallelujah" 

Swift might be speaking of athletes being beaten in a contest, but the song's sentiment maps well to how many of us feel today. It does feel like we are repeating history (OKC bombings, Columbine, 9/11, Virginia Tech, Newtown). We are getting sick of it. The fight isn't fair, when enemies harm us with sneak attacks from which we cannot possibly defend ourselves. This is cowardice, not power or strength. Power and strength are what were exhibited by the heroes who ran toward the screams.

Even after such a horrific day, I have to believe that--someday--things will change. We will stop senselessly killing each other. We will stop asking "Why?" after such acts of violence--because such acts will no longer occur. I recognize that this reality may never be realized. But I have to believe that we can someday move toward this reality, move toward this more perfect world. 

Without this hope, we may as well all give up now. And given the amazing support that has poured into and out of the city of Boston today, I think it's safe to say we are not ready to give up. We are ready to fight: for our city, for our country, for our home.