The last couple of weeks have found Spokane in the middle of a nationally televised event involving frightening tragedy and devastating loss for thousands. There are very few who do not have a family member, friend, or co-worker touched by the fires, evacuations, and devastation. While we know trials and tragedy are unavoidable features of life in a fallen world, it is difficult to prepare for how to respond to our own fears and loss, and to the experiences of others.
Scripture does not hide the reality of trials and tragedy. The book of Job, the Psalms, Habakkuk, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, 1 Peter, and Revelation all give voice to the suffering of God's people. Some say the very purpose of some of these texts is to teach God’s people how to think and respond to trials, tragedy, injustice, and loss.
The Bible does not promise Christians a trouble-free life; it teaches us how to live faithfully in a world that is thoroughly tarnished by tragedy—until the day God will reconcile all things together in Christ (Colossians 1:20) and initiate a new heavens and a new earth that will only experience justice, righteousness, and peace.
The Christian therefore needs more than a collection of trite, semi-comforting phrases (“everything happens for a reason” isn’t always helpful if you don’t already know the reason). We need a biblical worldview that helps us understand suffering and enables us to respond faithfully to it. We also need wisdom about how to speak and how to help others. Sometimes the most faithful response to suffering is not an explanation but compassionate presence and practical assistance.
Remember where the biblical story begins and ends.
The Bible begins with a good creation. God made the world good, and originally humanity enjoyed life fully unhindered by evil and its effects. Suffering, death, corruption, and tragedy entered the human experience through the fall (Genesis 3). While we affirm God’s sovereignty over all things, including trials and tragedy, it is not accurate to blithely say, “It was just meant to be.” The Garden of Eden was the original design, and the perfections and glories of heaven will be the final state of things. Everything else in between is “broken” and painful.
The fall gives us the broad biblical explanation for why suffering exists. We live in a creation subjected to futility and corruption. Tragedy and suffering are not features of God's original design but consequences of humanity's rebellion. This perspective corrects any sense of entitlement that might creep into our thoughts. A biblical worldview reminds us we do not have a "right" to a pain-free life. Every moment of health, happiness, love, and earthly blessing is ultimately an expression of God's mercy. Instead of asking why God has allowed us to experience something difficult, we can learn to recognize how generous God has been in giving us so many undeserved blessings.
Thankfully, Genesis 3 is not the end of the story. The Christian's understanding of tragedy must also be shaped by Revelation 21–22. God will ultimately redeem His creation, eliminate death and mourning, and make all things new. Paul writes that "the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us" (Romans 8:18). Our present suffering is real, but it is not ultimate. The creation itself is waiting for liberation from corruption (Romans 8:19–21).
This gives Christians genuine hope. We do not have to pretend that suffering is good in itself. Evil is evil, death is an enemy, and tragedy should grieve us. But none of these things will have the final word. The Christian's hope therefore cannot rest ultimately on circumstances improving in this life. Our confidence is anchored in Christ, His resurrection, His return, and the promise of eternal life.
This perspective is important because Christians sometimes feel compelled to explain every tragedy. But there are circumstances in which we simply do not know why God has permitted something to happen, such as the combination of dry conditions, strong winds, and apparent arson that wreaked vast destruction in Spokane.
Faith does not require knowing all the reasons. Faith trusts God when the reasons remain hidden. And faith puts its hope in the future, not in the present; it anticipates the perfections and glorious future that is promised to those who are in Christ (2 Corinthians 4:16–18). Everything we might “lose” in this life, was actually designed to be abandoned for something far more glorious than we can imagine. Experiencing that loss before you receive your heavenly inheritance is hard; but that difficulty, though real and painful, is also temporary.
Hold God's sovereignty and human responsibility together.
This tragedy has a painful human element—an arsonist. In an earthly sense, “we know who to blame” is very true. But there is never a time when the earthly sense is the only perspective on a matter. Scripture teaches two truths that must be held together: God is absolutely sovereign, and human beings remain morally responsible for their choices.
Remember what we learned from our study in Genesis. Joseph's brothers genuinely intended evil when they sold him into slavery, yet Joseph could truthfully tell them, "You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good" (Genesis 50:20). The crucifixion provides an even greater example: Sinful human beings were responsible for murdering Christ, yet their actions occurred according to God's sovereign plan (Acts 4:27–28).
We should therefore resist two opposite errors: We should not imagine that God is absent from tragedy, unable to control what happens. Neither should we conclude that God is morally responsible for the sinful actions of human beings. God is sovereign over suffering without being the author of sin. He can work through evil without Himself becoming evil. We may not always understand how this is possible, but Scripture calls us to trust Him.
Remember that God uses trials for His purposes.
Romans 8:28–29 tells us that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, with that good ultimately defined as conformity to Christ. Trials may expose sin, strengthen faith, reveal misplaced hopes, teach dependence upon God, increase our usefulness to others, develop Christlike character, remind us that this world is not heaven, create opportunities to testify about Christ, and deepen our dependence upon the body of Christ. We have perhaps observed all of these happening, by God’s grace, in the lives of His people in Spokane.
When someone is suffering, speak truthfully, compassionately, and humbly. Some truths and biblical principles are better left for later conversations rather than as first steps in the process of grieving tragedy and loss. Asking right away, “What is God teaching you?” will probably not be comforting. After some solid days (or weeks), and some sense of restored normalcy, those questions could be welcome and more helpful.
I prefer to ask, “What are the questions and struggles you’re experiencing?” and let the conversation be shaped by their responses. Otherwise, you may end up being like Job’s friends and give the impression that “you just don’t get it.”
Remember that a person desiring to help and comfort really needs to be a listener. Ask questions to prompt conversation rather than come thinking you have a truth or principle to offer that a person “really needs to hear.” You won’t know what they need unless you ask and listen. The most helpful thing you can say may be a remarkably simple question: "What can I do?" Then listen carefully to the answer and respond to the suggestion or request.
What a glorious and beautiful thing it has been to see the body at Faith extend itself to house the evacuated and to provide for those in need. In many, many cases, our people did not wait for a request but simply took the initiative and provided time, resources, and physical help.
But in some cases there may be nothing you can do, so here are a few suggestions for what you can say:
Sometimes Scripture should be spoken, but not as a substitute for compassion. Someone in the immediate crisis of suffering may need compassion and practical help rather than an exposition of Job. A grieving family may need someone to sit silently with them. A person who has experienced devastating loss may need someone simply to weep with them.
As time goes on in the coming weeks (and months), do not assume that because someone has stopped talking about the tragedy, he or she has stopped hurting. Maybe you could put a reminder in your calendar to pray regularly, and to even check in with your friend in one week, two weeks, a month, and at two months to ask how they are doing practically and spiritually.
Christians should be particularly careful about offering explanations that Scripture does not give us. This would include posing hypothetical questions or seeking answers to questions that are either misplaced, improper, or ill-timed.
Don’t say: "God did this because you sinned."
I hope this would be obvious to our church family at Faith. Sometimes suffering may be connected to personal sin, and Scripture teaches that God may discipline His children. But Job's friends demonstrate the danger of assuming that every tragedy is punishment for a particular sin. Jesus specifically condemns asking and drawing conclusions like this in John 9:1–3, when ministering to a man born blind.
Don't say, "Everything happens for a reason" as a substitute for compassion.
There is a biblical truth behind the statement: God is sovereign and works all things according to His purposes. But saying it casually can sound like an attempt to make someone's grief disappear. Again, if you don’t already know the reason, this can feel like a copout for offering true compassion or practical help.
Don't say, "At least __________” or “Well, good thing you ___________"
Avoid minimizing someone's suffering with statements such as "At least you made it out with both cars.” Or, “Well, good thing you have insurance.” Such statements may contain elements of truth while failing to acknowledge the person's present grief and real loss. If all you have are the cars, this is not really comforting. Having insurance to replace furniture or clothes does not return family heirlooms or bring things with sentimental value back to life. Pointing to a vague “silver lining” can bring more pain than comfort if we are not careful.
Don't pretend you know God's secret purposes.
We can confidently say that God is sovereign, wise, good, and working for the ultimate good of His people. We cannot confidently say, "God allowed this specifically because He wanted to teach you X." Sometimes (perhaps most of the time), God's purposes remain mysterious to us.
Christians have the unique privilege of comforting and encouraging sufferers as part of life in the church. Scripture repeatedly calls believers to bear one another's burdens, rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep, and encourage one another. The Christian community should become a tangible expression of God's care (John 13:34–35).
Most importantly, help sufferers fix their hope upon Christ. The goal is not merely to "get through" the trial. We should pray that God will use the trial to make us more like Jesus. James teaches us to ask God for wisdom and to see trials as opportunities for steadfastness and spiritual maturity. But usually, the time to ask, “What is God teaching you through all this?” is much, much later, after the crisis has passed, the losses have been measured, and the grieving has subsided.
We do not know everything God is doing through our suffering. But we can know enough to trust Him. When tragedy comes, Christians do not need to choose between honest grief and confident faith. We can weep without despairing. We can ask hard questions without accusing God. We can admit that we do not understand without concluding that God does not understand. And we can suffer deeply while still trusting deeply. The goal is not to explain away suffering. The goal is to help one another remain focused on Christ, faithful to His Word, and fruitful even in the midst of suffering.
Brian is the Pastor of Counseling & Equipping at Faith Bible Church. He is passionate about the local church, and equipping the saints to effectively serve one another. Before coming to Spokane, he spent 14 years serving God's people as a pastor in rural New England (Vermont & New Hampshire).
View Resources by Brian Sayers