The news feeds continue to report the evil actions of individuals and groups who are bent on carrying out their evil intentions in wreaking havoc on unsuspecting targets. Today, we are hearing the reports of the mass shooting in a church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, where 26 people are dead and more than a dozen others wounded. The reports of such incidents seem to be growing with each passing week.

What is the answer? Is there an answer? I would address these questions specifically to those who identify themselves as Christians: can you offer a word of consolation, a word of hope, in the midst of such wickedness?

I am reminded of the words of the psalmist, in Psalm 143, where he cries out to God for His intervention at a time of crisis: “My enemy has chased me. He has knocked me to the ground and forces me to live in darkness like those in the grave. I am losing all hope; I am paralyzed with fear.”

All hope lost; paralyzed with fear. I am sure the people of Sutherland Springs are feeling those same emotions today. And not just those who are personally affected by this act of insanity, but everyone who has a heart of compassion in times such as this. This act has shown us that there is no safe place – nowhere that we can feel completely out of harm’s reach. That fact could very easily cause us to lose hope.

Have you ever lost all hope? Have you ever been paralyzed with fear? It is so easy for us, in the face of such hatred and violence, to lock ourselves away, to arm ourselves with an arsenal of weapons, to install extra security in our homes, to do everything within our power to make sure we will not be the next victim. But this act is a graphic reminder that there is no safe place. As a matter of fact, the past few attacks have shown clearly that attacks are now in the most vulnerable of places. A concert in Las Vegas, a public street in New York, a Wal Mart in Colorado, a group of worshipers in church. There is no safe place. Anywhere, everywhere, is a target for those who are intent on carrying out acts of evil.

So, let’s get back to the question posed in the title of this blog. Will it ever end? The answer, short and simple, is, no. There have always been acts of evil, and there will always be. And those episodes in which evil produces such horrific results as those mentioned above always leave us in a state of bewilderment.

Just as the psalmist. Hope lost. Paralyzed with fear. Confused. Perplexed. Once again reeling in the aftermath of evil personified. Wondering what, if anything, can be done to protect against this onslaught.

Well, actually, the answer is found in that same psalm quoted above. After making the assertion that he had lost all hope, and that he was paralyzed with fear, the psalmist went on to say, “I remember the days of old. I ponder all your great works and think about what you have done. I lift my hands in prayer. I thirst for you as parched land thirsts for rain.” The psalmist realized that there was really no answer he could offer for the evil he was witnessing, but he knew that he had a place of refuge to which he could turn. That refuge was in God – his only hope, and the only One who could overcome his fearful paralysis.

This is where faith comes in for the believer. The psalmist actually goes on in this particular psalm to state further his battle with depression, but he asks of God, “Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning.” Faith is believing, even when you can’t see. It is seeing beyond the visible into the invisible. It is embracing the TRUTH of God’s love even when you can’t SEE that love. It is holding on to the truths of Scripture, even when you have every reason to turn your back on God and walk away.

Today, we are praying for the people of Sutherland Springs. Just as we did for Las Vegas, and New York. We keep our eyes on the only One who can give us the grace to keep going even in the face of the another stark reminder of the presence of evil. If you have not already done so, please turn to Him for grace to face the difficulties life throws our way. He is the light in the midst of this darkness of evil. He is our Hope, our Peace, and our Salvation.