Responding to our children, youth and ourselves in light of the terrorist attack

by Tim Lee


I’ve been a pastor for ten years with a unique focus on student ministry. There have been many highs and some lows as I’ve ministered to young people and others. Usually I feel excited about what I do because it’s a joy doing what God calls you to do. However, if I am honest, there are times when God doesn’t make sense. When a student is a victim of a hit and skip driver, a handful of high school students are gunned down at school or when so many innocent people die because of a terrorist plot against America. Sometimes, God doesn’t make sense.

This week has been an interesting in light of September 11th’s attack on America. People have been asking, “what do you think?” - “How can this happen?” - “How should we respond as Christians?” I certainly do not want to try to answer all of those questions for I do not have the answers. However, I do know that God calls us to trust Him and that in all things He works for the good of those who love Him.

Romans 8:28 reads, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” Paul was not saying that all things were good. Death, sickness and sorrow are not positives. God does not like these things and weeps with us when we suffer over them. We live in a world where sin exists and because of that terrible things happen. Mankind has cursed themselves by bringing sin into the world. However, through faith, we must believe that God will bring good through hardship…including what happen on this terrible Tuesday. And perhaps we will never know until we get to heaven. Proverbs 25:2 reads, “ It is the glory of God to conceal a matter.” Ecclesiastes 11:5 states, “As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the maker of all things.” We will never fully understand the mysteries of God…but that is where faith comes into the picture. But on thing is clear, God loves us and has a good and perfect plan for those who place their trust upon Him. Place your trust in God, all of your trust and move forward with a joyful spirit knowing that God mourns with us, loves us more than we will ever know, and has a way of making good through tragedy that we may never fully understand.

For those of us who have and work with children and teenagers the events of Tuesday can be very overwhelming, confusing and frightening. I recently meet with middle school students and we had a time of debriefing about the horror they were witnessing on TV. Their feelings ranged from confusion, fear, anger, and overwhelmed. How can you not feel that way with all the images of the horrific events that took place? Questions that were asked: “why did they do this?” “Am I safe?” “What should we do as Christians?” We need to be dealing with these questions and the emotions that our young people may be dealing with. The following are a few helpful ideas, some of which was given by Laura Bush, the 1st lady of the United States of America.
• Restrict TV during this time. (especially if your children are younger)
• Create a routine of normalcy around the house. Don’t be panicked around the house. Normalcy will create a calm safe environment.
• Let them know you love them. Children need constant reassurance they are loved and safe.
• Be pro-active in your response to the crisis. Have younger children write letters to their local fire departments saying thank-you. For older children (high school and above) you may give blood together as a family.
• Talk about it. Hear your children’s thoughts and fears and respond with a loving ear.