BOSTON STRONG?

"...for when I am weak, then am I strong." (from 2 Corinthians 12:10)
"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might." (Ephesians 6:10)

April 15, 2013 has now gone into the annals of my memory about as deeply as two previous dates: November 22, 1963 and September 11, 2011. In fact, I'd now rate it number 3, behind only those two dates. I will never forget it. My daughter Rachel posted a couple of photos of us on Facebook from that morning around 11:30, smiling and cheering on the runners in downtown Framingham. I look so happy and carefree and positive in those photos- having no idea what was coming later in that day! I'm a very emotional person. When I heard the news of the bombings and watched the initial reports on television, I was deeply affected by them. Later on April 15 I sadly commented to some friends, "I don't think we can ever have a Boston Marathon again. How could we?!" When I awoke on Tuesday morning, however, I felt very differently. After having slept on it, I thought, "We can't NOT have the Marathon next year! That's exactly what the terrorists want! We have to have it next year, and make it the biggest and best Marathon we've ever had and the biggest and best Patriots' Day we've ever had!" This was the inspiration for my blog post last week etitled, "April's Third Monday- Remember!".

It didn't take more than two or three days for a new slogan and logo to be born in the Greater Boston area. I don't know who coined the slogan or designed the logo, but the slogan is two words: "BOSTON STRONG!" and when you see it, there's usually a dark blue and red logo with the "B" design that you see on Boston Red Sox baseball caps. The "Boston Strong!" slogan along with expressions of hope and confidence regarding next year's Marathon have (sadly) produced very divided reactions in the community at large and especially within the evangelical Christian community of which I am a part. Last week a Christian layman I have a lot of respect for publicly expressed great displeasure and disagreement regarding President Obama's comments at the service in Boston last week.

"I can't stand that Obama!" my friend said loudly and angrily, "To say 'We're going to come back next year better and better!'? What is wrong with him? That man was bursting with pride!"

Several fellow Christians enthusiastically agreed with him. I was quiet. I did not watch the service in Boston on television. I've just seen a few brief clips of President Obama's remarks. I really didn't see much of a problem with them. I will say I have also heard a number of positive comments about President Obama's words last week from other evangelical Christian friends. A woman I know put a brief comment on-line saying, "Boston Strong!". It was met by what seemed to be a condescending rebuke from another woman who was trying to remind her that "pride goes before a fall". That little exchange created hurt and division, which is so regrettable. On the one hand, I have a number of evangelical Christian friends who have posted various "Boston Strong!" messages on Facebook. On the other hand, I've read some material on-line posted by local evangelical Christians who have said that what happened at the Marathon was God's judgment against America in general and Boston in particular- and that the people who are proclaiming "Boston Strong!" are stating that Bostonians are invincible and are really thumbing their noses at God and inviting further judgment and punishment. I can't help but wonder if all of this division just makes God weep!

At the risk of alienating a lot of Red Sox fans (and like most Bostonians, I love the hometown team) I was thoroughly disgusted by David Ortiz's blatant public statement that, "This is our #%//@&%#@#& city!" Really? There was nothing good or wholesome or helpful about that statment! I am sure David meant well but he just sounded like a foul-mouthed jerk! It's too bad former New England Patriots player Ron Burton is no longer with us, for he'd certainly have made some inspiring comments at this time and never degraded himself to talk like that!

I actually don't think "Boston Strong!" is a bad statement and I'm O.K. with it, but I don't think it was the best slogan to choose. When you're rushed after a horrific event, you're not in the best and most ideal frame of mind. I think of the days immediately following my brother's unexpected death thirty years ago. My parents, my sister and I were all in a state of total shock. My father had Eddie buried in his family's large plot at St. Joseph's Cemetery in Boston's West Roxbury neighborhood. Years later, my own parents bought a plot at Knollwood Memorial Park in Canton and that's where they are buried. My sister has often said she wishes Eddie had been buried in Canton like my parents, and I do, too. Had we had a few weeks to plan and think about it, the family probably would have purchased a plot in Canton for Eddie, but everything was so sudden and horrific that we did the best we could at the time. Similarly, I think if a month could have been spent thinking up a slogan and logo for the response to April 15's events, something better than "Boston Strong!" would probably have emerged. I'd have even liked "Boston Solidarity!" better, or "Boston United!". Still, as the saying goes, "it is what it is", and I think we should stop being so divided and judgmental over it.

Some might argue that if we were really so strong, the horrific events of last week would not have happened. The fact is, however, as the famous rabbi from Natick, Massachusetts once said, that bad things happen to good people. It is true that as a country in many respect we have pretty much ignored God and done our own thing, especially over the past forty years or so. We're a materialistic people. We tend to be an overconfident people. Yet, the generosity and kindness in the wake of the bombings has been heartening. My understanding it that over 200 million dollars has been donated for the victims so far! They need our prayers and our tangible support and will continue to need it for a long time.

In the Assemblies of God religious group to which I belong and serve as an Ordained Minister, we don't use the terms "diocese" and "bishops" as in many churches, but we do have "districts" and "district superintendents" (sometimes called "district pastors"). Our district is sort of "cutting edge" in that recently we started using the term "ministry network" to describe our district. The leader of our Southern New England Ministry Network is the Rev. Bob Wise. Bob is a very nice guy with whom I've sometimes strongly agreed on things and sometimes strongly disagreed on matters. I've never been so pleased with Bob Wise, however, as I was this past weekend. He put out an e-mail to all of our ministers encouraging that not only should our churches be full on the Sunday following the terrible Boston Marathon week, but that we should pray for the victims, for the grieving families, and pray for President Obama and the other political leaders as they attempt to lead us at this very difficult time. He also exhorted us to reach out in love to hurting people in our communities. To me, THAT should best exemplify "Boston Strong!" for evangelical Christians. We need to, "be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might," as that Scripture passage from the Book of Ephesians says. We need to pray. We need to love. We need to have the right priorities. We need to reach out to the hurting. We need to end petty and stupid divisions. Yes, I want to be BOSTON STRONG IN THE LORD!