Commentary by Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
In the wake of the bombing of the Boston Marathon, very human stories are emerging of horrific injuries and death as well as extraordinary heroism in the face of an unspeakable crime.
The New York Post is reporting on the death of eight year-old Martin Richard who was killed in one of the two bomb blasts that rocked the Boston Marathon yesterday leaving at least three dead and more than 140 injured.
Martin was standing with his mother and sister when the bomb went off. He was killed while his six year-old sister lost a leg and his mother suffered brain injuries.
According to a neighbor, Martin was a typical bike-riding and baseball-playing boy who loved to climb trees and hop the fence surrounding his home.
Grieving neighbors left a candle burning on the stoop of the family’s home in the city’s Dorchester section with a single word written in chalk on the front walk: Peace.
Standing near Martin at the time of the blast were two brothers, whose names have not been released, both of whom had recently been laid off of their jobs as roofers. They were near the finish line watching a friend run the marathon when the bomb went off, leaving them both so injured that each lost a leg from the knee down.
“I’d never imagined in my wildest dreams this would ever happen,” their heartsick mother, Liz Norden, told the Boston Globe. “I feel sick. I think I could pass out.”
In a tragic irony, the bombs were detonated in the last mile of the marathon which had been dedicated to the victims of the Newtown school massacre, with some of their relatives sitting in a VIP section near the finish line. It is not yet known if any were injured in the blast.
At the end of the day, the official death toll remained at three, but officials say it could go as high as 12 with at least 17 of the 140 injured considered to be in critical condition.
But the dark side of humanity did not win this day. No sooner had the bombs gone off than heroes from all walks of life rushed headlong into the carnage to help anyone they could reach. In fact, the flood of volunteers was so overwhelming that the Red Cross actually sent out a tweet informing people that “We do *NOT* need blood at this time. Please schedule a future donation.”
In one video, a man is seen running toward the people who lay on the ground nearest the center of the blast. When he arrived, he ripped off his belt to make a tourniquet and stem the bleeding of one victim before quickly turning to assist another.
By then, emergency medical crews and police were swarming over the scene, carrying out the injured on stretchers and wheelchairs.
Retired American football star Joe Andruzzi, who won the Superbowl three times with the New England Patriots, was seen picking up victims in his arms and carrying them to safety.
As the Telegraph reports, people throughout Boston opened up their homes to anyone who was stranded or needed a lift somewhere. A Google document was set up with offers of help, such as: “Located across the street from Mass General Hospital. I have a couch and an inflatable twin mattress for anyone who needs to stay.”
Meanwhile, restaurants in the area quickly arranged to offer free meals and shelter to those caught up in the tragedy, forcing no one to pay who was not able.
The owner of El Pelon, a Mexican restaurant in the area, tweeted: “Open wifi, place to charge your phone, cold drinks, or just don’t want to be alone.”
The owner goes on to credit his coworkers and staff for how quickly they opened their hearts to those affected by the blast. ” . . . (N)ot one blinked when asked, not one went home when they could, those not working came in.”
Just like we saw in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks, the goodness in the hearts of our fellow brothers and sisters burst through the darkness like a sudden flash of light.
And we were once again reminded of the words of our Savior, spoken for moments just such as these.
“In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world” (John 16:33)
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