I watched as another human being was shot and killed. I didn’t want to, but it was literally everywhere. There’s just so much violence and anger right now on our screens—in the news, in social media, online. I recognize the privileged life I’ve lived as a suburban male that watching this kind of violence is just now becoming normal at age 45. For many within America and in other parts of the world, seeing death has been a reality for their entire lives. But for me, the reality of the “normalcy” of watching someone get shot has shaken me. It feels like a shift is taking place in my psyche as the political and cultural landscape moves under my feet in jarring ways.
Sadly, for my children, aged 13 and 17, this is now normal for them, too. As I try to get my bearings, I find myself repeating four truths again and again to help me regain a measure of perspective. These are truths I want my family to know, too, to help them make sense of this world. I pray they’ll be helpful for you and your family, too.
Truth #1: Only one empire will last, and it’s Jesus’ kingdom.
I’m used to seeing bad things happen in books and movies. Still, I tend to feel, “I can’t believe this is happening to me,” when something bad enters my world—like the time my wife and I were robbed at gunpoint, or when miscarriage after miscarriage occurred. For you or your children, it might be a cruel diagnosis, a natural disaster that destroys everything, or betrayal by someone you trusted. For many of us, we look at the situation in the United States and say, “I didn’t think this could happen here.”
This is, in part, because of our idolatry. We’ve fallen for a lie that so many have believed before us about other empires: that our empire is different. That this one will last. But like the Proverb asks, “Does a crown endure to all generations,” (Proverbs 27:24)? The answer we find in both history and Scripture is, ‘no.’ No crown given out by human hands will last forever.
I’m reminded of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel 2 with the statue made up of different metals, which Daniel interprets to represent different empires. It makes clear that while some empires might last longer than others, only one will endure forever. For Daniel, that eternal kingdom belongs to the Son of Man, “His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed” (Dan. 7:14).
This Son of Man, we learn, is Jesus the Messiah. He was crowned on a Roman cross some 2,000 years ago. Then, three days later, God “raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come” (Eph. 1:20-21). I want my kids to know that his is the only crown that lasts.
We need to remind our children that while many citizens of the United States belong to Jesus’ kingdom, America itself is not that kingdom. This does not mean, however, that we give up on whatever nation we find ourselves in. Rather we work for its good—like Daniel, who served as a high-ranking government official in Babylon. Or Jospeh, who used his influence in Egypt to rescue people facing famine. Or Esther who used her political influence in the Persian empire to rescue her oppressed people.
We continue to serve the One who sits on the eternal throne, seeking to bring the culture and practices of his kingdom into our midst for the benefit of the nations that will not last. I don’t want my kids to give up on trying to do good.
Truth #2: No matter who sits on earthly thrones, Jesus sits on the heavenly throne.
I used to work with a ministry that served the underground church in Iran. Many of my Iranian colleagues had experienced arrest and exile from Iran for their faith in Jesus. The ministry began shortly after the 1979 Islamic Revolution and adopted the name Elam. The name comes from Jeremiah 49:38 where God says, “I will set my throne in Elam” (Elam being an ancient kingdom whose land is currently part of Iran).
The name Elam speaks to a deep conviction held by senior Iranian church leaders that regardless of who sits on the earthly throne in Iran, Jesus reigns from the heavenly throne. And as such, whatever the political circumstances in Iran, the mission of the church in Iran remains the same: to share the love of Christ in Iran and beyond.
As we process the news with our kids, we can remind them that regardless of who rules or holds power, our work as the church remains the same. We are to keep going, to keep gathering together, and to keep loving one another. God calls us to continue serving and proclaiming the Good News of Jesus no matter what is happening around us. And we do so not with blinders on, pretending everything is okay, but precisely because we see what’s wrong and understand that Jesus is still at work in this world, and we are his ambassadors, “God making his appeal through us” (2 Cor. 5:20).
Truth #3: It’s good and normal to grieve, but we do so with hope.
The gospel gives us the freedom to admit everything isn’t okay, and reminding our children of this truth is a gift we can give them. Sin is real and its effects are tragic. So as we watch and listen to what’s happening in our country, it’s right to grieve. Jesus wept at Lazarus’ tomb, even through he knew he would raise him from the dead. It’s okay to be angry. Jesus braided a whip and drove out those using religious structures for personal gain. It’s reasonable to need comfort—this is why Jesus hasn’t left us alone, but sent us the Comforter, our Helper, the very Spirit of God (John 16:7). The grace Jesus gives is the balm for our hurting hearts.
When Paul writes to the church in Thessaloniki after a death in their community, he doesn’t ask them not to grieve, rather, he reminds that they needn’t “grieve as others do who have no hope” (1 Thess. 4:13). He then goes on to remind them of their hope in Christ’s return—the future time in which the fullness of Jesus’ kingdom breaks into our reality, making all things new. That eternal perspective helps us—and our sons and daughters—hold on to hope, no matter what the circumstances.
Truth #4: Death is a part of our story, but it’s not the last word.
A pastor friend of mine regularly says to those who are hurting, “The worst parts of our stories are never the last part of our stories.” Jesus’ resurrection means death is not the end. It’s true that for now, until Jesus’ returns, death will remain a part of our stories. But because Jesus is alive, God assures us that death is not the end of our stories. Rather, as Peter declares, “According to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Pet. 3:13).
We are waiting for the fullness of resurrection reality when, John tells us: “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Rev. 21:4). At that time, John goes on to say, “No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever” (Rev. 22:3-5).
Knowing this is how the story ends, we can encourage our children to continue on in the faith, despite the world falling apart around us. We can remain steadfast in the face of tragedy, because we know it’s not the last word. We stay steady in the face of injustice because Jesus is king. And we stay hopeful amidst grief because our king is a redeemer. We don’t do this because we have faith in ourselves or in humanity in general, but because we have faith in Jesus and the power of his resurrection. We stay loyal because whatever happens in the present, our story ends with New Creation. And so, each the day the Lord gives us, we wake up and seek to live as ambassadors of Jesus’ kingdom, bringing life, redemption, and hope wherever we can.
For more gospel-centered encouragement for the parenting journey, subscribe to the Rooted Parent Podcast and the Asian American Parenting Podcast.
