What is God's Response to the Boston Marathon Bombing?

Marcos Miranda

If God were to respond to the many angry and inconsolable thoughts and questions concerning why did the bombing take place in Boston and why did more innocent people die while others were critically injured, what would He say?

Throughout the course of history, we also find God being repeatedly and infamously asked by many "where were you and why did you allow this horror to happen? (If “you” used here really were real)."

But let's not stop here. 

Other than the Boston terrorists, think about the Catholic Inquisitions, the Europeans killing the Native Americans, the Pilgrims and their bloodthirsty witch hunt while executing a number of innocents along the process, The Holocaust (carried out by a self-professed Christian called Hitler), the endless decades of slavery (adopted and enforced by thousands of Christians) all the way to 9/11 carried out by Muslim pilots.

In spite of all of these horrific events and before forcing God to answer why has He been so absent especially during the toughest times of human history, aren't we strongly reminded also faced with the reality of how human history is marred and shaped by violence?

And such violence, as we know, was committed by self-professed Christians, Muslims and people of other faiths alike weren’t it? There were claimed mass executions in god's name. That's what it was and it continues to be...

Certainly, in the hands of the powerful and eloquent, religion can be used to manipulate, control, guilt, shame, impoverish, enslave and even kill the masses; as demonstrated throughout generations in various belief systems. 

At this point, I promise I won't even dare to touch on the ramifications of politics as well.

And not to drift too far away from the subject at hand, but shouldn't we also ask: "Where is God in religion?" 

And how exactly does He inspire and lead people to kill, steal and destroy while being absent when people do commit such said acts?

Well the answer is rather simple. 

God is never absent from our lives but we can live lives absent from God. 

God is not absent from religion although religion is absent from God. 

And God is not absent from the violent but the violent is absent from God.

God has never told anyone to sell indulgences or murder every Jew. God never asked the WASPs to treat Africans like animals. God never inspired the pope to expand political power and acquire more wealth at the cost of innocent death before Luther proclaimed reformation. God never granted the conquistadors to rape pillage and plunder. And God has certainly never forced one of His children to strap a bomb around their chests to kill others. But man, and disguised demonic influences, did.

The God who has revealed Himself to the patriarchs said He is love and mercy. He said the punishment of the wicked will come in due time, by His own hand. He said will bless the righteous and his generations with peace. He said He longs to have a personal relationship with you. He said he wants you to know Him, and He wants you to feed, care, clothe and love your neighbor as yourself. He said the peacemakers will be blessed, because they will be called His own.

And in the fullness of time, God revealed the proof of His love toward mankind through Jesus Christ, who died on the Cross and resurrected to forgive sins and give life to anyone who leaves their old life and comes to Him. This is what followers of Jesus call salvation by grace. And through the Cross He gave access to His Kingdom all who receive Him as the Son of God, therefore, are born again through the work of His Holy Spirit.

So as we investigate each topic, we can clearly see that God, religion and terrorism are three separate subjects, that stand on their own but sometimes, they occasionally and falsely intersect.

Coward extremists who attacked the Boston public claimed to be doing such terrorism to make a political statement, via a belief system completely run by militant extremists toward results that couldn't be any further from what God ever intended for their lives.

Therefore the question "where were you God" then becomes to some a simple decoy so they do not have to deal with the fact God may not be in their lives and they don't want Him to be. And by blaming God or another religion for this inconceivable act of terror, instead of looking at the actual individuals who are the sole cause of this chaos, all some are doing is fueling the fire extremists want they to fan, thus diverting attention from the real issues.

Before, during and after the Boston attack, God has had only one mission and that is to reveal Himself to you, show you His love and cultivate a spiritual relationship with you.

So a more important and relevant question instead of where was God during the bombing is where is God in your life right now and how is your life with God? 

Are you given to your Father or are you driven and given to other issues and distractions? 

Politics will ways is about power, the powerful, about money and control. The rebel extremists are about shedding innocent blood, religion, about practice, discipline, sacrifice and repetition. 

But God, He is all about you.

Paul wrote that "no one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer" (2 Timothy 2:4).

Politics, immigration, the economy, religions, and so many other polarizing, dividing and bigoted issues are nothing more than "civilian affairs" where so many of us get entangled and caught up in sometimes.

But knowing what our marching orders from our King are, which is to love God with all our heart and love our neighbor as ourselves; we are to turn away completely from everything else. We are to focus on secular affairs as much as Jesus did. Zero!

In reality, we still find followers of Jesus turning away from following their Master and their calling to engage in a battle of race, debate, justice and the so called "religion blame game" that is not a fight believers should ever be engaged in.

So what is God's response to the Boston marathon bombing events? 

It is that He is still with us despite what horrific events militants may bring about. He still cares. He still loves. He still comforts. He still is the same God and Father of all. And how exactly does He demonstrate these things? Through us, when we love one another.

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:1, 2)

If you wish to contact Marcos direcly, please email him marcos@lovingmuslims.info

Follow Marcos Miranda on Facebook