Sometimes the world seems pretty messed up. Okay, a lot of the time it does. By now, you've probably heard about the explosions at the finish line of the Boston Marathon that happened on Monday, April 15, 2013. In times of tragedy that give shivers to the nation, we often wonder how we're supposed to react. Maybe you're outraged or saddened. Maybe you don't really care or you don't care but feel like you should. As a follower of Jesus' teaching, how are we supposed to respond to such things we hear in the news?
Firstly, it's important to realize that when something horrible like this happens—especially when innocent lives are needlessly taken—God is still in control. If He notices a bird falling to the ground (Matthew 10:29), then how much more will He be watching with compassion when His child falls at the hands of an evil person?
Second, know that God is sovereign over all the world and everything that happens within it. That means He can take anything and turn it into good. His methods and reasons for allowing events to play out are way above our heads (Isaiah 55:8-9). Still, ignorance isn't necessarily bliss when it comes to tragedy. Horrors are no easier to accept.
Sometimes it seems like there's no reason "good enough" for God to allow bad things to happen. Yet there's no way we can fully understand the eternal perspective of God because our world is so limited. We can only see today and what has happened in the past. God sees every minute of every life from its start to finish and knows how each life will coincide with every other, and He only wants good things for His children.
Just like when we have to take medicine or get shots for vaccinations, we must trust that God's decisions are for the ultimate best, even if they don't seem like it at the time.
If you are looking for something DO, I have one word for you: PRAY. Pray for comfort and peace for families affected. Pray that God would be well-represented by the believers who come in contact with those affected. Pray that doctors, nurses, and EMTs would be effective and do their jobs with care. Pray that God would spread His compassion out through the hands and feet of His people.
—Cat
Cat is the web producer and editor of 412teens.org. She is known as "412teens" on the 412teens Discord. She loves audiobooks, feeding the people she cares about, and using Christmas lights to illuminate a room. When Catiana is not cooking, gardening, or practicing creativity, she enjoys spending time with her two kids, five socially-awkward cats, and her amazing friend-amily.
