How Should We Respond To Suffering?

In the face of heartbreaking tragedies like school shootings, the question of why inevitably surfaces. Why does God allow such senseless suffering? While we may not have simple answers, Scripture and the life of Christ offer us a framework to navigate these moments of deep grief and loss.
First, we affirm that it is right and Christ-like to respond by seeking to alleviate suffering. Jesus Himself was moved with compassion for the hurting and broken (Matthew 14:14). He fed the hungry, healed the sick, and comforted the mourning. Yet even in His earthly ministry, not all suffering was removed. There is a mystery to the way God works in our world—something beyond our full understanding. This does not mean we stand passively by, saying, “God sent this, and He will fix it.” That would be to deny our responsibility as God’s people. Instead, we partner with God, taking every action available to protect, heal, and restore. We pray, we advocate for change, we care for those left shattered.
Second, suffering—especially suffering on this scale—exposes profound realities about our human condition:

1. Our frailty—Life is precious and fragile, reminding us of the limits of our control.
2. Our need for God—Moments like these remind us of how much we depend on a God who is near to the brokenhearted (Psalm 34:18).
3. The sinfulness of the human condition—We are reminded that evil exists, and it runs through the human heart. Violence like this is not of God but reveals the depth of brokenness in our world.
4. Our need for repentance—In Luke 13, when people questioned Jesus about senseless tragedies—the slaughter of innocents and the collapse of a tower—Jesus reframed the question. He did not explain why. Instead, He issued a call to repentance. The message was clear: such events should not lead us to point fingers but to look inward and turn toward God.

Tragedies like this are a summons. They call us to wake up to the realities of sin, brokenness, and the need for transformation—not just in individual hearts but in communities and systems. There is a collective cry for repentance, a turning back to God’s ways of love, justice, and peace.

This is not the time for despair, though the grief is overwhelming. Nor is it the time for passive resignation. It is a time for action, reflection, and renewed dependence on God. After 9/11, churches were filled with people seeking hope and meaning, yet that spiritual hunger faded all too quickly. The challenge for us, as individuals and as the church, is to ensure that this moment of reckoning leads to lasting transformation—not fleeting resolve.
The prophet Joel spoke to a nation in crisis, facing devastation. His message was clear: Return to the Lord. In Joel’s time, the people’s repentance opened the door to renewal, leading to the great promise of the outpouring of God’s Spirit (Joel 2:28-29). It is through repentance and reliance on God that true healing and transformation begin.
So what do we do?
We seek to relieve suffering wherever we can, caring for people and their families with compassion. We participate by using our voice, time, treasures or resources to help alleviate the causes of violence in our society. We pray—not just for comfort and healing but for a deep spirit of repentance that brings about real change. And we look to the Lord, asking Him to send His Holy Spirit to bring renewal, healing, and revival to our broken hearts, our broken communities, and our broken world.
May we not emerge from this tragedy unchanged. May this be the moment when we, as a people, turn fully to God—seeking His peace, justice, and hope for all.

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