O God of Hope and Compassion,
In July 1768, one of our founding fathers, John Dickinson, published his timeless words in the Boston Gazette, he called out to us saying: “Join hand in hand, brave Americans all! By uniting we stand, by dividing we fall!”
We stand in solidarity, united with our brothers and sisters in Boston, as they, and we, seek solace and understanding in the aftermath of the heinous attack this last Monday.
Those who caused this destruction seek not only to destroy life, but to instill fear and destroy our sense of safety and freedom. But instead of this act of terror dividing us, it has brought us closer together, reminding us of our shared destiny as Americans.
We pray for healing for those who were injured, we pray for eternal peace for those who were murdered, and we pray for consolation for their loved ones whose lives have been changed forever.
But even as we grieve, we also give thanks. We give thanks for those who acted with courage, rushing into danger to help others. We give thanks for those who opened their homes to offer refuge to those in need. We give thanks that our response to terror is not to shrink back in fear or to abandon our freedoms, but to pursue justice and enforce the rule of law.
May we always stand united as a nation, cherishing our freedom, protecting our liberty and running to help those who need us most.
May this be God’s will. Amen.
