Save Us from Violence

“Pure evil” is how Sheriff Jud Smith described the recent school shooting in Winder, Northeast Georgia. Tragedies like these have become disturbingly frequent in American schools. Each incident is met with tearful interviews from victims’ families mourning their horrific loss, community vigils showing solidarity, and condemnations from federal, state, and local officials. The media is inundated with interviews of parents, students, and school authorities, alongside analyses of the shooters, the weapons used, and the judicial processes that follow.

Students recount the terror of hearing gunshots, realizing the grim reality, or worse, witnessing their classmates and teachers fall victim to a deranged gunman. They will never forget what it was like to be barricaded in classrooms, hiding in a desperate bid for survival.

These horrific events have become a disheartening fixture in our news cycle. We ask, “Why does this keep happening? Why can’t it be stopped? Where did the system fail, and can it be corrected before the next tragedy?”

But violence isn’t confined to our schools. Police, first responders, and innocent bystanders fall victim to violence simply by being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Drug-related violence, gang warfare, mob aggression—where will it end?

Ancient prophets warned of the violence that has plagued humanity for millennia and continues to this day: “Violence and plundering are heard in her”; “shedding innocent blood, and practicing oppression and violence”; “the land is filled with crimes of blood, and the city is full of violence” (Jeremiah 6:7; 22:17; Ezekiel 7:23).

In Noah’s time, “the earth was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.” It was then that God destroyed the wickedness of that age (Genesis 6:11–13). While God promised never to flood the world again, He will once more intervene, as He did in the past, to prevent humanity from destroying itself. Jesus warned, “Unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved” (Matthew 24:22).

If humanity truly sought to address the root of all this violence, we could start by examining our “diet” of violence in media and entertainment. We’ve all heard the saying, “You are what you eat.” The Bible puts it plainly: “For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence” (Proverbs 4:17).

Proverbs 4 offers timeless wisdom for avoiding violence. Verses 1–4 show a father imparting wise counsel to his beloved child. “Keep my commands and live,” he says. In verse 10, the father urges the child to heed his teachings for a long, fruitful life. He continues, “Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of evil. Avoid it, do not travel on it; turn away from it and pass on.” The father concludes by urging, “Ponder the path of your feet… remove your foot from evil.”

Another crucial step in navigating these violent times is trusting in the Eternal for protection. King David, who faced many enemies, composed a song thanking God for deliverance. He trusted in God, his Shield, Stronghold, and Refuge, and declared, “My Savior, You save me from violence” (2 Samuel 22:3).

However, more violence will occur before Jesus Christ intervenes and establishes His kingdom of peace. When the Redeemer comes to Zion, “Violence shall no longer be heard in your land, neither wasting nor destruction within your borders” (Isaiah 60:18). For a glimpse into this hopeful future, request a free copy of The World Ahead: What Will It Be Like? or read it right here at TomorrowsWorld.org.