When we hear of shocking tragedies like the recent school shooting that took the lives of six people at a Christian school in Nashville, Tennessee, our hearts break—we can’t imagine the depth of suffering the families are now experiencing because of an evil person’s choices. When these events happen, we usually hear a lot of news commentary on why they happened. Sometimes that commentary comes from church leaders who say things like, “We don’t know why this happened. We just have to trust God.”

But we actually do know the ultimate cause. If we believe and understand the book of Genesis, we know that our sin in Adam changed everything in the world. We are living in a fallen world where “Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Also, “following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience” (Ephesians 2:2).

So, understanding this world correctly, we recognize that our sin resulted in the terrible groaning we see happening around us (Romans 8:22). It’s not God’s fault; it’s our fault—all our fault, as we sinned in Adam. We deserve nothing, but God in his love and mercy provided the gift of salvation through his Son to save us from this mess we caused.

Thus we do understand the ultimate cause of the rampant evil we see around us, but we still know God is in control. It’s easy to say, but it is so hard for us as humans living through deep suffering. The pain can be excruciating. And it’s OK to groan and ask, “Why?” After all, we’re just fallible, finite humans. But in the end, we can only come to the conclusion Job came to in the Old Testament. Job had terrible tragedy in his life, and he wanted to argue with God, so God spoke to Job and asked him if he knew this, or that, or this, or that. God was showing Job he knew nothing compared to what God knows. We read,

Job 42:1-6 KJV – “Then Job answered the Lord, and said, I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee. Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not. Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”

Job recognized that we have to let God be God. As hard as it is, we need to recognize God knows infinitely more than we do. God can have morally good reasons that we don’t know for allowing something to happen. And, as humans, it is hard to let God be God. It’s easy to say for someone who is not going through terrible tragedy, but in the end that is what we have to do. We can grieve together, but there comes the time when we have to let God be God. Sometimes we can look back and see how God used these circumstances in astounding ways we did not understand at the time. Other times we can’t see it and won’t find out until heaven.

Then there are the non-Christians who respond by claiming that if there is a God, he is unjust to allow such a tragedy to occur. But a non-Christian has no basis for determining what is just or unjust. From their perspective of “no God,” they have no basis to determine what is right or wrong. They can’t accuse someone of being unjust! From their perspective, everything is subjective and morality is relative. Philosophically speaking, the problem of evil turns out to be a problem for the unbeliever. However, for the Christian, evil must be compatible with God’s goodness. Therefore, evil events occur for reasons which are ultimately good even if we don’t understand how.

Romans 8:28 KJV – “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

Think about it. The crucifixion was an evil event, but it had a morally good purpose—salvation! But at the time, even the disciples didn’t understand it.

In Luke 13, Jesus asked whether his listeners thought the 18 who died from a tower collapse were worse sinners than others. Then he answered the question himself: “No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:5). Everyone has a time to die, so make sure you’re ready. Make sure you have trusted Christ for salvation.