Perspective

The news the last couple days has been all about the bombings at the Boston Marathon. Yes, its a horrible horrible tragedy and the pictures are just devastating.

But as I've been inundated with all the media coverage, it has been hard for me not to think about all the people who have died or been severely wounded in similar terrorist bombings in countries like Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, and Pakistan. So many people, just as innocent as those who were killed or hurt in Boston. These lives that have been lost in the Middle East were certainly no less important than the lives lost in Boston.

I wonder if it'll make us a bit more compassionate in terms of trying to comprehend what kind of world families live in in these countries. So yes, I am thinking about those killed and hurt in Boston, but I'm also thinking about those killed and hurt in these other bombings just over the last month.

- 4/15/13: Baghdad, Iraq. 15 dead, 73 wounded in Baghdad with additional bombings in Kirkuk, Baqubah, Tikrit, Fallujah, Nassiriyah and Mussayab. Total 32 dead, 200+ wounded.
- 4/14/13: Mogadishu, Somalia. Suicide bombings at Supreme Court building. 35 dead, 40+ wounded.
- 4/8/13: Damascus, Syria. Suicide bombing in Sabaa Bahrat Square, the main business district in Damascus. 15 dead, 53 wounded.
- 4/8/13: Wardak, Afghanistan. Roadside bus under a traveling bus. 9 dead, 22 wounded.
- 4/6/13: Baqubah, Iraq. Suicide bombing at a political rally for a local Sunni candidate. 22 dead, 55 wounded.
- 4/1/13: Tikrit, Iraq. Suicide bombing at police headquarters. 42 dead, 67 wounded.
- 3/29/13: Baghdad and Kirkuk, Iraq. Car bombs at four Shi'ite mosques. 22 dead, 144 wounded.
- 3/29/13: Peshawar, Pakistan. Suicide bombing at a checkpoint near the US consulate. 10 dead, 31 wounded.
- 3/22/13: Balochistan, Pakistan. Bomb near a hotel in the main bazaar of Dera Allah Yar. 9 dead, 24 wounded.
- 3/21/13: Damascus, Syria. Suicide bombing inside a mosque. 42 dead, 84 wounded.
- 3/21/13: Peshawar, Pakistan. Car bombing at the Jalozai refugee camp. 15 dead, 40 wounded.
- 3/19/13: Baghdad, Iraq. Series of bombings at government buildings and gathering places in Shi’ite neighborhoods. 61 dead. 148 wounded.
- 3/18/13: Kano, Nigeria. Suicide bombing at a bus station. 41 dead, 44 wounded.
- 3/18/13: Mogadishu, Somalia. Car bombing near Mogadishu's National Theater. 10 dead, 20 wounded.
- 3/17/13: Basra, Iraq. Car bombing close to a bus station. 10 dead, 24 wounded.

This is just the last month. If we're praying for those hurt and the victim's families, let's include these victims as well.