The Broken World We Dwell In

This week my heart has been heavy. The news has been filled with reminders of just how broken and sinful this world is. There was the school shooting in Colorado, where young lives were forever changed. There was the stabbing of Iryna Zarutska, a Ukrainian refugee who fled war only to find violence waiting for her here. There was the assassination of Charlie Kirk, whose voice was silenced in an instant. And of course, we just remembered 9/11, a day that will forever remind us of the devastation that sin and hatred can bring.

When I take all of this in, my first reaction is grief. My second is fear. As a mom, I can’t help but look at my kids and wonder, What kind of world are they growing up in? I wish I could shield them from every headline and every evil act, but I can’t. What I can do is point them to the only place where hope is found—in Jesus Christ.

Jesus never promised that life would be easy. In fact, He told us plainly: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) That truth gives me strength to keep going. Yes, sin is real. Yes, hatred runs deep. But Christ has already won the victory. Evil will not have the final word.

What humbles me most in weeks like this is remembering that while we see the darkness so clearly in others, the same sinful nature lives in all of us. And yet, every single person is worthy of God’s redemption and grace—even the people who pull the triggers, even the ones who cause the pain. That can be hard to wrap my heart around, but it is the heart of the gospel. I think of Saul, who persecuted and murdered Christians before God transformed him into Paul, one of the greatest missionaries to ever live. I think of King David, who committed adultery and murder, and yet was called a man after God’s own heart because he repented and sought forgiveness. If God’s grace could reach them, His grace can reach anyone.

Even as I grieve for the victims, I find myself praying for those lost in hatred and violence. I pray for the ones who celebrate death, that their hearts would be softened and their eyes opened to the truth. I pray they would turn from their sin and turn toward Jesus, the only One who can truly change them. Because in Him, there is forgiveness, mercy, and new life.

This is what I cling to when the world feels too broken: the promise that God is near to the brokenhearted (Psalm 34:18), that He offers rest to the weary (Matthew 11:28), and that one day, He will wipe every tear from our eyes and death will be no more (Revelation 21:4). Until then, we keep pointing to Jesus, we keep living as light in the darkness, and we keep trusting that His love is greater than all the hatred in the world.

Yes, the world is heavy. But Christ is our hope. And that changes everything.