Some of you who have been reading my blogs know that we live in New York. Some of you may even know that we live in the inner city–what someone here once aptly described as ‘the ghetto.’ We’re here specifically to be a part of our church and to minister in this neighborhood. We knew moving in that this was not considered the ‘ideal’ place to raise children–but we felt strongly that the Lord wanted us here and so here is where we stayed. However, we’re not ignorant to the dangers that are around us but rather we live in the confidence that we are safest in God’s will.
This week there were four major incidences on our block. Two were murders and two involved crazy (literally) gun men on roofs. You would think that we could shield our children from this unpleasantness but mourning is a very cultural event and when someone dies here, generally there is somewhat of an memorial set up in the street with candles burning, pictures of the deceased and messages for the deceased person and his/her family. In other words, we’re confronted face to face with what sin has done to our neighborhood.
So often we’ve been asked how we explain these things to the children. Here are a few ways in which we’ve answered these tough questions:
God is Sovereign
I know there are people that might disagree with me on this, but I don’t believe there is anything that happens that God cannot control. Nothing takes Him by surprise. Not only that but because we are His children and He loves us, even bad things work together to bring glory to Him and for the good of those who love Him. That’s a promise that we can rest on.
Sin Causes Bad Things, Not God
It is important for children to understand what the Bible has to say about sin and its effects on the world. It is important for them to understand that God is loving but can have no fellowship with sin and that sinfulness is the reason our world is in the state it is in. Death is not an individual punishment but rather a general consequence for sin.
God’s Promises
God keeps His promises. His character is such that He never changes, never changes his mind, and will never leave us. We confidently tell our children that we are indeed safe because we are in God’s hands. But not only are His promises good for us–but they’re good for other people too. And that’s why we’re hear. So that other people can know about God’s promises.
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