A few weeks back my company announced that there would be a lock down drill in my building. With workplace violence seemingly always in the news, having a procedure in place that everyone knows, and was ready to execute is a good practice. We have procedures and drills for fire and weather related emergencies as well.

The drill was set for today, April 16th 2013. This was planned long before the events in Boston took place yesterday, so it just an unfortunate coincidence, but timing is everything.

When the time came, several of us barricaded ourselves in a room, turned out the lights, turned off our phones, and hid under our desks. We knew it was a drill. And yet all of us were very uneasy. We sat in silence, in the dark and waited for the all-clear.

As I sat there I thought about the people in Boston. There was no duck and cover drill for them, and no warning of the events about to unfold. I thought about the students in Columbine who hid in cabinets and lockers for hours waiting to be found. I thought about the people running down the stairs in the World Trade Center, and those stuck above the fire.

Today was just a drill, and  like all the other things we practice, I hope it never comes to pass. The sad reality is that for someone, somewhere it will.

We live in a dangerous world. We always have, and we always will. There will always be sick, demented, twisted people who think that violence against others is the only way to solve their issues. I do believe there is evil in the world, and I pray today not only for the vicitms and their families, but also for the countless people who find themselves in situations where violence appears to be the only answer.

No amount of gun control, security measures, lock down drills, foreign wars, or anything else will eliminate violence. There is only one thing that has the power to end all this…. LOVE. The sooner that we can all find a way to love and understand one another, the sooner we will find the peace we all long for.