Lift your eyes to the things above, move forward by faith.

There has been so much violence, loss of life and deep grief recently. It’s very difficult to process it all, to gather our thoughts, or to know how to think and speak rightly about such darkness.

At the same time, our social media feeds and news outlets are inundated with messages, images, videos and memes. Some are inspiring, others are vile. But some are outright lies – either made up stories or false images created by AI – to what end, only God knows. We must lift our eyes.

Here is one thing I do know.

In the darkest times, when the very foundations seem to shake beneath our feet, Christians must remember that sorrows will come, confusion and hardships will come, but our faith is the solid bedrock on which we stand. We must walk by it, and not by sight.

Our calling has not changed, and will not change until we see our Savior face-to-face. We are called to be salt and light in a decaying and darkened world. We must stand firm and commit to building up with our words, not tearing down. We must be able to confidently and clearly communicate the reason for the hope that we have. This is the time for courage, not cowardice. Truth triumphs over terror.

Study your Bibles, pray for your neighbors, go to a church that values the Word of God above all else. Link arms with those on your path. Have conversations with those who aren’t. Seek to learn, quiet yourself to listen, but walk boldly in the faith you’ve been given, exercise it each day, and grow in your knowledge of the Truth.

Be at peace.

Love you.