In their weakness, they found strength

Did you see news reports or video footage of the people of Boston singing the National Anthem at the Bruins hockey game on Tuesday night? I expect all of you have been following the sad events in Boston. On Patriots Day, after the Red Sox game was finished, about an hour after the first people finished running the Boston Marathon, in the midst of the celebration of a state holiday, two bombs exploded killing three people and injuring more than 170. Many people had limbs amputated because of the bombing. Among the dead was an 8-year-old child. In the midst of a day of public celebration terror reared its ugly head. Fear gripped the people of the city. A search began for the perpetrators of the attack. All this happened on Monday.

But on Tuesday the people of Boston faced the attack and faced their fears and came out in public again. Almost in defiance, a sellout crowd gathered for the Boston Bruins hockey game, and something happened I haven’t seen before. When it came time to sing the national anthem the man who usually sings the anthem was having trouble with his emotions, so he asked the crowd to join him in singing. I’ve been to many sporting and public events where the national anthem is sung in respect at the beginning of the event. But, I have never seen Americans sing with such gusto or such feeling. I have never heard Americans sing their national anthem that loudly before.

In watching this singing of the anthem it seemed that the people of Boston were facing the attacks, facing their wounds, facing their fear, and facing their weakness to do anything about the attacks. But, in their weakness the people found the strength of their shared values of freedom and community. In their weakness, they found strength.

The truth is that Christians are not really strong until we are weak. St. Paul shares in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, “9 But he [The Lord] said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

We would like to be strong in love and righteousness. We would like to be strong in commitment and character. But we all struggle with our weaknesses that are a result of our sinful nature. There is only one who did not fail, Jesus. But, when we struggle, Jesus who faced similar struggles is with us. When we sin, Jesus offers forgiveness through His death on the cross. When we face death, Jesus offers eternal life through faith in His rising from the dead. When we face and know our weakness, Jesus is our strength. When we face our weakness and trust in Jesus He shines through us. So, “When we are weak, then we are strong.”

A number of years ago the Promise Keepers Christian men’s organization had a march in Washington, D.C. A reporter asked one of the marchers if they were speaking against the sins of the time. A paraphrase of the answer of a wise man is, “I am a sinner. I am not speaking against anyone else. I need help. Jesus is that help I need.”

In a world where we are weak Jesus is our strength, and we can face anything. I was moved to tears by the people of Boston. I am more thankful for my Lord, who is my strength.

Jonathan Rockey is pastor of St. John Lutheran Church in Palmer. Contact him at jonrock53@mtaonline.net.

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