Real Hope: Where Is God?Sample

Where Is God In Situations Of Unrest?

Terrorist attacks, brutal beheadings, mass shootings – we hear about them regularly these days on the evening news. How are we to respond? What is God saying to us in the face of evil? 

We can answer those questions by looking at what God has already said. First-century Christians faced similar threats, not from terrorists, but from a Roman Empire that delighted in mass crucifixions and gladiatorial games. God responded then by speaking about a different kingdom. We see it as heaven’s throne-room in the book of Revelation. While John’s visions are full of fantastical imagery that can be difficult to understand, this scene in Revelation 5 is clear. What was the key to God’s kingdom? It was a lamb that looked like it had been slain. 

Where human empires wield their power, God calls us to look to Jesus. Where evil forces threaten to overcome us – God asks us to follow the one who showed us that self-sacrificial love and prayer are the ways to fight. While we may not have all the political answers, just as those early Christians didn’t, like them we must start with this as our first response – to follow the way of Jesus.

written by TANIA HARRIS