'Prayers for Boston' Offered Up at Danvers Church

About 50 parishioners gathered at Christ the Redeemer Anglican Church Tuesday night in Danvers to pray and reflect on the bombing at the Boston Marathon on Monday, which killed three and left nearly 200 injured.

At one point in the service as they prayed for all those dealing with the tragedy, parishioners spoke aloud the names of those people they knew were suffering or their families, as well as for affected churches and authorities dealing with the situation.

Fr. Tim Clayton, reflecting on the marathon itself and Patriots' Day, said it was normally a day "when Boston shines," full of joy, hope and victory -- people from all backgrounds nobly striving for great things.

"It's a day in which this city shines and in which people's hearts are touched to the core," he said.

In comparison, he said, the reality of the bombing "wakes us up to the worst," forcing pain and suffering upon unexpecting victims. He said he hasn't seen fear from those he's spoken and met with as much as grief and loss in Monday's aftermath.

Clayton said it's a natural response for people to be angry, confused and hurt in the aftermath and those emotions need to be felt in order to heal.

He then praised those at the race who ran toward the victims after the explosions went off, those who offered stranded runners food and shelter and those marathoners who continued on past the finish to hospitals to donate blood.

Clayton said those were "greats acts of courage" and "self-giving love," which all Christians are called to as they seek to emulate their savior.

Amid the pain, suffering and grief, Clayton said, "God is there." "The Bible changes the question of 'why' [evil and tragedy] to 'how long,'" he said.