We've Got Issues - Fear, Disaster, and Terrorism

We’ve Got Issues: Fear, Disaster, and Terrorism

Last Wednesday rbcstudents began a weekly discussion we are calling: We’ve Got Issues. In these discussions we will talk about real issues that affect our real lives, and how God meets us in the midst of it all. Our first subject was “Fear, Disaster, and Terrorism.” Here’s what was shared:

Do you remember 9/11?  Where were you?  How old were you? What about the Newtown shooting or the Boston Marathon bombings? What about storms like Joplin and Moore, Oklahoma?  Do you know anyone who has been directly impacted by any of these things? Several students and parents knew individuals directly affected by these tragedies.

What kinds of emotions do these events create in you? Students responded with an array of feelings from fear, to anger, shame, frustration, and also sadness.

We live in a world where terrorism and violence seem to be common and increasing in frequency.  Why do you think that is? Technology has made the world smaller, and because of that, people of differing ideas and beliefs interact more often. This means tensions can build much faster and spill over into violence.  Also our culture has become desensitized to violent actions in the first place. Our movies, music, media, and video games depict it with ever increasing regularity, and so, violence doesn’t seem like something out of the ordinary.

Why do you think bad things like this happen? To a degree, we as sinful human beings invite bad things to happen to us by our choices—but this goes back to an even deeper and more foundational problem. We discussed how back in Genesis 3, after the Fall, the earth was put under a curse. Work would be harder, nature would resist man’s dominion, and we would struggle for peace. Until Jesus comes back to fully redeem all things we will always live with a degree of tragedy.

Do these bad things change the way we live?  Should they? We live in a broken, sinful world.  It’s tough, but there are not always easy answers as to why stuff like this happens.  The truth is that we have a loving God, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Job faced more challenges and sorrows than most men ever, yet never disdained God. He trusted the LORD.

Isaiah 54:10 says, “For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed…”

What are your thoughts about fear, disaster, terrorism, and faith? We’d love to hear your thoughts!