This past week, in Japan (where I live), a terrible incident happened in which 34 were people were killed due to an arsonist who set fire to an anime studio called Kyoto Animation.
A friend of mine, who is an anime fan, was extremely upset about it, but so was my wife who is not an anime fan.
I think it is a natural reaction. We should be upset, both angry and saddened by this kind of evil.
The question is, “What do we do about it?” Just complain about the evil and ask God why he doesn’t stop it? Simply mourn over the tragedy of it?
I think about the passage in Acts 17 where Paul was in Athens.
He saw a city filled with idols, and Luke tells us, “he was deeply distressed” by it. Other translations put it, “he was greatly provoked” or “he was upset.”
In short, he was angry.
What did he do? Simply rage at its evil? Simply mourn over it?
No. He went out and preached the gospel to everyone he could.
Why? Because the only solution to sin and evil in this world is the gospel. Only the power of the gospel can change lives and bring healing to this broken world.
The question is, “Do you believe it? Do you believe it enough that when you see all the evil that sin causes, you want to share the gospel to all the hurting people around you?”
What is your response to evil?
Moment to Moment (Bible blog) 