Of course, empathetic listening is a huge part of ministering to teenagers. But over the years, I’ve also discovered a few ways of encouraging them to respond to the sad and scary reality of mass shootings. As you help young people process tragic events, encourage them to:
1. Cry for those who cry.
Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.
It’s a good thing to shed tears over those who’ve lost their lives or been hurt in an attack. Our hearts should break for those who’ve been broken. They should also break for those countless others who are struggling with loss and grief.
Many teenagers live in fear today—fear of failure, fear of rejection, and fear of this brand of violence erupting in their schools. It’s good for teenagers to learn how to grieve for those who grieve, like the people of Nashville, who are grieving right now for the loss of so many of their own.
One of the best ways we can help them hurt for those who hurt is by spending time in prayer as a youth group for the victims and the victims’ families. Maybe this week in youth group, you can lead students in a time of prayer for the victims of The Covenant School tragedy.
2. Refuse to live in fear.
Our teenagers who believe in Jesus do not need to live in fear of death. Hebrews 2:14-15 reminds us that Jesus shares in our “…humanity so that by His death He might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.”
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For us, as believers in Jesus, death is not a tragedy as much as it is a transition into the presence of God. As painful as it is for those of us who are left behind, those who die as believers in Jesus are experiencing the unspeakable joy of a real Heaven.
This is why it’s so vital to make sure your teenagers understand the Gospel message and have put their faith in Jesus. We can’t prevent mass shootings, but we can make sure our teenagers are ready to die, if that day comes.
3. Take their worries to God in prayer.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Sadly, we live in a country where violence is all too common. I wonder how many times a day teenagers look at a closed classroom door, asking themselves: What if…?
But we can help our young people learn how to transform this nervousness into an excuse to turn to God in prayer. We can teach them to bring their worries to God until they experience His peace, which transcends all understanding. This peace does not remove the threat but allows teenagers to face any threat with a deep, steady hope in their hearts.
