When Violence Strikes
Finding Clarity in a Broken World
Last night, the headlines were filled with another mass shooting—this time in New York City.
But this isn’t just a headline.
One of the victims was Officer Didarul Islam. He was only 3½ years into his service as a New York City police officer. He immigrated from Bangladesh, seeking a better life. He loved this country. He loved the city. He loved his job.
Now he’s gone.
He leaves behind two young sons. His wife is expecting their third child.
The Police Commissioner said Officer Islam was “thrilled with the opportunity to serve the city and its people.” And now, a family is shattered. A wife is widowed. And three children will grow up without their father—all because of one man's act of evil.
What do we do with that?
How do we make sense of senseless violence?
Evil Is Real
We don’t live in a neutral world. There is real darkness. And sometimes it breaks into our lives without warning.
The Bible never pretends otherwise. From the earliest pages, we see how sin corrupted the world. Cain murdered his brother. Lamech bragged about his violence. By the time of Genesis 6, the earth was filled with corruption and bloodshed.
Ecclesiastes 8:14 says it plainly:
"There is a futility that is done on the earth: there are righteous people who get what the actions of the wicked deserve, and there are wicked people who get what the actions of the righteous deserve."
Some things just don’t make sense… at least not to us.
Bad Things Happen to Good People
Job lost everything. David was hunted without cause. Jesus was crucified.
The Bible is filled with stories of faithful people who suffered unjustly. Not because God failed them, but because this world is broken.
Romans 8:22 reminds us:
"The whole creation has been groaning together with labor pains until now."
We live in the groaning. And in the grief.
But that’s not the end of the story.
God Is Still in Control
When everything feels random and chaotic, we need to remember: God hasn’t stepped off the throne.
But let’s be clear—God is not the author of tragedy.
He does not cause shootings. He does not delight in evil. He does not create suffering.
James 1:13 reminds us:
"God is not tempted by evil, and He Himself doesn’t tempt anyone."
The violence and pain in our world are the result of sin and human rebellion—not God’s will.
Even so, God is still sovereign. He can take what was meant for evil and use it for good (Genesis 50:20). He can bring redemption out of ruin—healing out of heartbreak.
Romans 8:28 is not a cliché. It’s a promise:
"We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose."
That doesn’t mean everything is good. It means God is not finished.
Clarity in the Chaos
We will not always understand the “why.” But we can anchor ourselves in what we know is true:
Evil is real.
Pain is part of life in a broken world.
God is still just.
God is still good.
And God is still working.
Until the Kingdom comes in full, we wait. We grieve. We pray for families like Officer Islam’s — and the four other families who lost their lives.
And we do not give up.
