3 Ways to Cope with an Increased Risk of Violence and a Prayer for First Responders

Our hearts grieve with those left mourning after this tragedy and the many others like it happening all over our country and the world. Romans 12:15 says, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.” As believers, we are called to walk alongside those who are grieving. Empathy strengthens those gutted by darkness, loss, and evil. 

As we walk alongside those who have lost and are suffering, we must do our part to encourage them. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 says, 

“Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” 

We cannot make the wrongs of our world right, but we can be a safe place for the lost and hurt. We can stand in the gap for those who are vulnerable. We can pray for those who are grappling with injustice. We can be with those in need, offering Jesus’ love through our words and actions. 

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We know that every life matters, and when they are taken out of this world by force, a significant loss has occurred. Matthew 5:21 Jesus says, “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ Jesus recognized how wrong it is to take the lives of others. He promises that judgment will be brought by the Lord in his time. We can trust him to make right the many wrongs we see carried out by humans against humans. He alone has the power to bring true justice and restoration to all Creation. 

Isaiah 30:18 says, “Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.” God is gracious to us even as we walk through many trials as individuals and as a greater community. The believer’s posture is humble, waiting on the Lord to correct the wrongs in our world. We will never understand why and how such tragedies occur, but we can trust that God can bring justice to every situation in this life and the future. 

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As those who acknowledge this grief and the injustice of life cut short, we are also called to advocate for the vulnerable. Micah 6:8 says, “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” While God brings final and perfect justice, we can partner with him to bring justice to our world. 

Gun violence continues to be a significant cause of death in our country. In 2023, 47,000 people died due to a firearm. Mass or public shootings continue to be a considerable threat to public safety in our country. As people who see the value of life and being able to live in peace, we should be alarmed at the continual reports of public violence in our nation. It seems no place is sacred as shooters have targeted schools, churches, movie halls, first responders, and more. This trend of senseless violence surely is an attack on our peace and the sanctity of human life. 

As believers, we need to find more ways to engage the system, our communities, our churches, our schools, and our neighbors to help bring justice to this growing trend of public violence. It’s clear there is a problem, but how to solve it requires God’s wisdom and grace. Praying for eyes to see those who are hurting, isolated, at risk, and mourning is powerful. 

This issue touched our lives personally when I was just a new Mom. I had just placed my sweet 9-month-old precious boy into his crib, and went across the hall to my room, not long after a loud noise tore through our house. We went to investigate and found bullet holes had torn through at least five walls of our home. Urgently, we swept our boy into our arms and waited on the floor until the police could arrive. We were lucky we were not hurt, but I suffered PTSD from this event for a long time after, realizing how, even when we had done all we thought was reasonable to keep our family safe, a semi-automatic weapon could tear through my house with no warning. I couldn’t stop it from happening. No one even did an investigation to try to find out who pointed their gun at our house. Thankfully, we could move, but most don’t have that privilege. 

My story is just one, a fortunate one, in which gun violence disrupted our lives, and thousands of others carry the physical and emotional scars from these kinds of tragic encounters. All I know is that for my children and their children, it is clear that more needs to be done to create a safer community and culture for everyone. I hope we all don’t just gloss past this terrible headline, feeling hopeless about changing our system. I pray that we see that this is a tragedy that should grieve us all and be convinced to do our part to push back against this darkness. 

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God, 
We know our hope comes from you alone, and your power is the only one great enough to push back this darkness! We ask that our nation find new, creative ways to tackle this issue. There would be unified ways to promote mental health, laws that protect us, policies that would support first responders, and the most at-risk in our communities. That violence would not be celebrated in our nation. We pray that the lonely, isolated, the unseen, and the hurting would find the support they need before harming themselves or others. 

God, comfort those who are carrying the wounds and navigating the grief that is a product of gun violence. Give them supernatural strength to forgive those who have wronged them. Offer them peace when the scenes they were witness to want to torment them. Provide safety for those who continue to live in neighborhoods where shootings are a regular part of life. Guard the lives of those who have stepped up as first responders to have a safe country. Heal the brokenhearted in our nation, Lord. Give us the chance to live in a peaceful nation by your amazing grace. 
Amen. 

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Recently, my husband and I ran into an old friend poolside at our marina. Same smile, same laugh, and same lighthearted, genuinely kind person. Catching up on lives as people who don't see each other often do, he made mention of the city nearby where he served as a policeman, and his concerns about the declining condition of the area. Both my husband and I felt our stomachs sink weeks later when we learned some policemen from said city were ambushed on their lunch break. One of the officers was killed. Our old friend was his partner and was also shot in the ambush. I pray the same smile, the same laugh, and the same lighthearted, genuinely kind person recovers and heals from something no one should have to go through. Especially someone who has pledged their life to protect others.

We no longer live in an era where violence doesn't directly interrupt our lives. It seems it's only a matter of time before we have our own story, like Amanda's, or our old friend's. What do we do with the weighty sadness of this reality? The genuine fear of realizing how fleeting life really is ... Many of my extended family have been and are first responders. Even more of my friends. The older I get, the more personal each story, each incident, each loss ... To echo Amanda, the lack of control we have is highlighted in these situations, and it's excruciatingly hard to make peace with what is happening. 

The only thing we can do is hold on to the God who never changes for dear life. To lean on counselors who are gifted with the ability to help us keep moving forward. I joke that parenting teens sends my prayer life into overdrive. But really, being a resident of this world, alone, is enough to do that. Today, I pray for my friend. I pray for the officer's family, left behind to wrestle with questions that have become their unfair reality. I pray for the kind of healing only God can be held responsible for, and protection only He can accomplish. For someone whose empathy is constantly in overdrive, every scene that captures my attention enters my overactive prayer life. Because I know, one day, I might need the same kind of intervening prayers, too. 

Let's pray:
Father,
We know that in this world, we will have trouble. We know there will be pain, sadness, and unfairness. We know life can change forever in the blink of an eye. It would be silly to tell people grieving that there is a reason for their pain, a purpose in the trial. God, I pray for those grieving today to grieve honestly and openly, having a safe place to process their circumstances. I know you will meet them right where they are at. In their pain, anger, sadness, and grief. You will never tell us how we should or shouldn't feel, God. You are faithful to love us as we are, and that is why you are trustworthy. Thank you for Jesus, who sacrificed his life so that we can freely come to you through him. Because in this world, we will have trouble. But you will walk us through it ...all the way home.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen.

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This article originally appeared on Christianity.com. For more faith-building resources, visit Christianity.com.