Pray For Boston

On Monday April 15th 2013, at about 2:50 pm, a bomb was detonated near the finish line of the Boston marathon. 12 seconds later, another bomb exploded. In all, these tragic and devastating events left in its wake, 3 people dead, 180 people injured, and a nation in shock. President Obama addressed the nation 3 hours later: “American people will say a prayer for Boston tonight”, he said, prompting the hashtag #PrayForBoston

My Facebook and Twitter feeds were filled immediately with words of encouragement and prayers for Boston punctuated with hashtag #PrayForBoston. Yes, I agree we should pray for Boston. I am praying for this historic city, and I am sure you are praying too. I do not condone this evil act of placing bombs in a crowded area knowing someone will die from its effect. But I also know we should be praying for Boston not just in the bad times but also in the good times. In fact, we should #PrayForBostonInAllTimes

We should pray for Boston when it achieves its breakthroughs like having the first public school and subway system in America, when it achieves military victories like the Siege of Boston, and also, we should pray for Boston when it goes through daunting times like the Boston Massacre or the recent Marathon bombings. We should be praying for America, not just when its economy is stuttering but also, when it is booming. When America’s morality is at its highest, we should pray and when it’s morality is at it’s lowest, we should also pray. We should be praying for the world during nightmarish eras of war and also during protracted periods of peace. In essence, we should be praying, not just in the bad times as we are oft to do, but also in the good times. As scripture reminds us: