Finding Peace In Harding Ave. Murders

I found the recent triple homicides on Harding Avenue disturbing, as I’m sure it did to many who call Waltham our home.  

At first, this senseless tragedy made me worried and fearful that it might affect my neighborhood. I thought, “This can’t happen! It’s Waltham — I love this town!”

But, as I continued to think about my state of mind I knew the fear and worry I felt wasn’t going to help me, or the community. I needed to find peace. And as I’m sure many others did, I turned to prayer.

I prayed for the police, the victims and the victim’s families.  And this brought a better sense of peace very quickly.

I remembered that not long ago I read the autobiography of Mahatma Gandhi, the father of non-violent resistance.

I treasured many of his ideas. One of the major take-aways I had from his book was this: to resist violence, one must learn to resist violent thoughts and behavior. He also famously said, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.”

In an effort to find ways I can put non-violence into practice, I’ve come up with a few goals:   

1. Absorb less violence by choosing better movies and television shows.
2. Try to be more kind and humane in my every day actions.
3. Continue praying for the community and everyone affected.

Though I don’t know for sure what the effect will be from these goals, these steps certainly sound better than the alternative—doing nothing, or becoming desensitized.

What about you?  What has helped you deal with this tragic situation?