Interfaith Service Brings Light to Dark Time

In nearby Boston, an army of technicians, agents and officers continue to assemble bits and pieces of evidence they hope will yield clues to solve the bombings that killed three and maimed and injured scores of innocent victims.

In Swampscott, Tuesday, 50 people including five local spiritual leaders came forth to gather light and seek peace and healing in a broken and dark time.

First Church Swampscott Pastor Ian Holland hosted an interfaith prayer service.

The gathering sought solace for those who suffer, for Boston and for themselves.

Pastor Holland, Rev. Thomas Rafferty and Rev. Wallace Blackwood of St. John the Evangelist Church,  Rev. Mark Templeman of Swampscott's Church of the Holy Name and a representative from the Unitarian Universalist Church of Greater Lynn lighted candles and spoke of light in their remarks followed by prayer and silence.

Through the church's tall windows the last of the day's light streamed, a golden light on the side to the western sky.

Single electric candles shined on window sills.

Bright yellow forsythia sprigs sprung forth from a vase on the altar.

Light glinted off the massive pipe organ above the altar.

Lighted globes hung from six high chandeliers.

All the light reflected off walls and the ceiling giving the room a collective brightness on the cusp of night.

One of the visitors was Bill Washington of Columbia, Missouri, a doctor who came to Boston to run the marathon, his second, a joyous event in his life.

He ran it and finished it before the explosions but they lingered within him after the prayer service.

He said he appreciated the reflection the service offered as he comes to terms with how close he came to the danger, comes to terms with how many people in the world are confronted with danger and darkness day in and day out.

"I'm too close to it," he said after the service, wearing his blue marathon jacket and covering his face with his palms.

His wife, Fran, and Swampscott's Sue Burgess are close friends. They have known each other since about 8th grade.

They came to the service, as did Julia and Daniel Wistran and Lorraine Follis, to experience the light of community.

Sue Burgess said Monday's tragic events reverberate through the victims, the victims' families, the families' cousins, uncles and friends, affecting a thousand or more people.

The visitors to the interfaith service came and prayed to help counter the darkness.

To that end they accepted the pastors' invitation to light a candle at the altar at the end of the service.

The assembled votives flickered, adding to the light left in the church.