in light of the Boston Marathon: be quiet

We live in dark days. More and more, the business of an average day is shattered by gunshots, an explosion, a disaster. In those moments, the world grinds to a halt and we all stand for a moment, speechless with shock and loss. For some, that moment of silence ends far too soon. My heart is always so grieved when people take to the “air” of social media with their answers and their agendas while the blood is still being washed off the sidewalk.

I’ll tell you my experience. The night that my sons died was the darkest night of my life. It felt like my body was going to rip in two from the weight of the grief and regret, the questions, and most of all, my aching empty arms. The people who loved me the most were the ones who just waited, just sat in the crater of silence and waited. They had no words of wisdom, no explanations, just presence. Years later, when the loss has become more of a dull ache and the memory of my sons is sweet, those friends and family are still the ones I trust with my victories and defeats.

Today, families and friends of the victims of the Boston Marathon don’t need to hear why guns would or would not help. They don’t need to consider conspiracy theories and they don’t need us, the movement that fights for awareness of the value of every human life, comparing their violent and senseless deaths and maimings to the death of millions of babies. It doesn’t matter if your cause is righteous. Be quiet and honor the dead. Anything less is not pro-life.

Today, I urge you to be quiet, sit in the silence and pray. Pray for the people who carried out this act, pray for the families of the dead and wounded. Pray for the medical personnel and law enforcement as they forgo sleep and try to bring comfort to the injured and their families. Pray for our nation as we once again grieve the loss of our brothers and sisters. Just pray.  Only God can help us.