Wednesday Wisdom: Processing Tragic News
Welcome to Wednesday Wisdom—our weekly blog series where we’ll be featuring blogs from Christian thought leaders such as Sean McDowell and Greg Stier.
Processing Difficult News
In light of the school shooting this week in Nashville, we’re featuring Greg Stier’s blog post on how to help youth process the news around tragic events. When news of a school shooting spreads, our youth are impacted—it can contribute to anxiety, fear or even depression. On the flip side, it can harden youth to reports of evil or death
Here are some tips Greg shares in his blog:
Cry for those who cry: Many teens live in fear today—fear of failure, fear of rejection and so on. It’s good to learn how to grieve for those who grieve. One idea is to spend time in prayer for the victims and their families.
Refuse to live in fear: As believers, we can place our hope in heaven! That’s why it’s important to make sure your youth understand the Gospel and have put their faith in Jesus.
Take their worries to God in prayer: We live in a world where violence is all too common. We can help our youth transform their fear and anxiety into an opportunity to turn to God in prayer, and experience peace that surpasses all understanding.
Reach out to the broken, bullied and belligerent: Often, the shooters in these kinds of events are those who have bullied, ignored or marginalized in some way. We can help our youth become change agents by equipping them to reach out, care for their classmates and share the Gospel with them.
Be ready to act when the time comes: Jesus said in Matthew 10 that his disciples should be as shrewd as serpents and as gentle as doves. We can apply this to violent situations. Challenge your youth to take immediate and decisive action if they see or sense danger. And it’s not just the youth who should act—it’s also the church. It is time for churches to rally around schools to pray for them, serve them, volunteer in them and protect them.
For more, please visit Greg’s blog here.