"The world is broken and needs its Maker to fix it."

I didn't blog yesterday because I really didn't know what to say.

The events from yesterday were tragic and broke my heart as I watched the TV from my living room.

I've had this thought in my head for a while… and have had a few discussions with people about it.

In recent years, like the last 4-8 years, I feel like there has been such an abundance of tragedy, heart break, and evidence of how broken, fallen, and messed up this world is.

But what I've always tossed around is this… Are there truly more devastating events happening around the world, or is it that fact that in the last 8 or so years I've become of age to understand these events, peoples' evil motives, the realness of it all? Plus the fact that our communication has substantially changed, especially with the Internet, we are better able to gain information about events happening.

And this is what I think I've determined. Its a little of both. Example: I was only 9 when Columbine occurred and I was only 11 when the events of 9/11 unfolded. At those ages, I couldn't fully grasp the evil and darkness of such events. 

But since then--there's been many more events happen that I have better understood. And I believe they have in fact happened more frequently. From shootings, to terrorist attacks, to natural disasters, to wars and outbreaks, to hate crimes, to legalization/acceptance of sinful things in America, to the terrible, terrible conditions of third world countries, to the world now having more slaves than ever before… I genuinely believe Jesus's second coming is closer than we think.

I wanted to share something I read yesterday, written by Ed Stetzer who was actually FBCH's interim pastor while they were searching for a new pastor after Brother Glenn's passing.

His words are true and give 3 ways of how to respond to the brokeness of the world.

The news is filled with horror. There is no other way to say it. It is horror. The horror of a broken world where evil is real.

Let me suggest some ways Christians should respond.

First, pray. Pray for hurting families and broken communities that have had their children ripped from them. Pray for churches to minister to the hurting. Pray for people not to lose heart. And, yes, pray for Jesus to come back and set this broken world right.

Some time ago I tweeted about the tragic suicide of a member of my extended family, ending my post with the words, "Maranatha. Come quickly, Lord Jesus." Someone asked me, "Why did you say that? How are those things connected?" The answer is that ultimately we need Jesus to return and set this world right-- we eagerly wait in hope for the return of our Savior. That's why Christians pray for Jesus' soon return.

We believe that right now our broken world rebels against its rightful King-- and evil people do evil things. The innocent suffer. People are hurt and people hurt each other. People kill and are killed. The world is broken and needs its Maker to fix it.

So, we Christians pray as Jesus taught us, "Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."

So, we pray for the hurting now and for Jesus to come back and end all the hurt-- to dry every eye.

Second, don't be afraid to say that the world is horribly broken. Speak about its broken condition. This brokenness is all around us. Evil is real-- bad people are doing horrible things. The world really is broken.

In Subversive Kingdom, I wrote:

Look around. Our world is broken. I'm not talking about the "world" in terms of nature (although creation, too, bears the marks of sin's blemish and decay). I'm talking about the "world" comprised of the people, structures, and systems that make up society--the moral patterns, beliefs, and behaviors that result in things like unfair business practices, racism, extreme poverty, dishonest government, dirty politics, family breakdown, cheating, stealing, oppression of the weak, and so many other distressors and defilers...

It stinks. 
It's bad. 
It's not right. 
It's broken.

And in homes and hospitals every day of the week, at courthouses and gravesides everywhere in the world, people of all spiritual makes and models suffer from it-- from a world that toils along in hopeless disrepair.

The brokenness of the world is on full display this day. Don't be afraid to talk about it. All the silly "positive thinking religion" collapses on days like this. This world is broken and only God has the ultimate fix.

Third, do something. Yes, hug your kids, but find a way to serve the others and be an agent of the Kingdom of God-- an ambassador of Jesus in a world that does not follow him and His ways. Respond to this evil by doing good. Join Jesus on his mission.

We sense inside us a God-given desire to alleviate as much pain as possible with the tools and opportunities God has placed at our disposal. We hate watching people suffer from the debilitating effects of evil in the world. We want to see fallen and broken world, with its hurt and pain, driven back and overthrown. Yet, we can be pretty good at drowning out our heart's compassion with large doses of television and distractions, but deep down we want to be part of making a difference in others' lives.

So, don't just watch the television news. Do something to change the broken world-- show and share the love of Jesus. Again. More.

The hurting world needs God's people living as those who care, because we do care. We can't fix everything, but we can do something.

Let's grieve with and pray for the hurting. Let's call the world what it is-- broken. Then, let's recommit ourselves to living for Jesus and others in a broken world.

Hold your kids, cling to Jesus, and cry out, "Your Kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." Maranatha.

And may this be our prayer as a nation--as we so desperately need it:

"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place."

2 Chronicles 7:14-15