Boston thought

Days like yesterday are a struggle. How can we choose such evil? What sort of machinations take our minds to such places?

Then I look at the testimony of my own life.

These two pieces of evidence together make me realize what a great gift our free will is. (Assuming, of course, that what we believe about God is true:) Knowing how we would choose to hurt one another with it, to put our own self-serving, or controlling, or evil desires above the good of all, or how we would so gravely misunderstand, misinterpret and misapply the concept of "for the greater good" that we would use it to justify pure evil or, in my case, exercise it in ways such that we convince ourselves that we are not in control of our own choices, God yet bestowed on us the intelligence and the will that are our defining traits. What tremendous love God must have for us, and how terribly we abuse it.

God, please comfort the mourning, heal the wounded, draw all those who are hurting and confused into your love, and both bring the perpetrators to justice and draw them into your grace.