If you missed church this past Sunday, you really missed out! We got to watch the new Star Wars trailer. I don’t know about you, but I am super excited for this movie and have been for a long time, so I was super excited Mark incorporated that into his message this past week. Mark’s point was that all stories are about good vs. evil. Even though we had a clear cut ending with Star Wars where good won out, for the story to come back, there has to be a good vs. evil again.

We live in a world of evil. Every morning when I watch the news I am so burdened about another shooting or natural disaster where more people have been killed. When I get to work as the School Counselor of Griffith Elementary, I am more burdened by all of the problems my students face. I see students who never get rid of lice because their house is so infested. Or kids who come in starving every morning because they really are only fed meals at school. Last week we had a student who opened his back pack and about a hundred cock roaches crawled out. Or kids so dirty and smelly that their teachers and students have a hard time being in the class with them all day. This stuff really upsets me. I wonder how can anyone treat a child this way?

Most of us have moments where we question why God allows such evil things to happen. Even the strongest of Christians. But because of the Fall, the world is not as it was meant to be. We were selfish, and through our sin were separated from God. Because of sin, evil exists in the world. But as believers we have the hope that that evil will eventually be destroyed. We are currently living in an evil world, but Revelation 21:4 tells us that “There is a new world coming in which there will be no more tears or pain because all things will be made new.”

Sometimes I get overwhelmed by the evil of this world. But that is when I know I need to spend more time in the Word. God will give believers His peace if we ask for it. Evil, horrible things happen daily, but I am so thankful that I have the hope that evil will be defeated one day. My prayer for all of you is that you don’t get overwhelmed by the evil, but remember that as believers we have the hope of a future paradise.

Christie Crowe
School Age Children’s Director