Romans 5:7 – 8 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Terrorist attacks have become common place in our day. When I first drafted this blog one had just taken place in Manchester, England at the end of an Arianna Grande concert. Much of the audience was young girls and their parents. By the next morning 22 were confirmed dead and 59 injured. The media confirmed that a suicide bomber was responsible.

These events, now sadly familiar, put the mind in a tailspin. How does one process this seemingly relentless carnage of innocent lives around the globe, whether in this manner or in endless wars? Each party justifies its actions in one way or another. But how can it be right to attack the innocent. The first victim of this latest attack was identified as an 8 year-old girl. Who did she offend? I have to conclude that she and all others are victims of hate, pure and simple.

I do not believe it is God’s will that our lives on the earth should be miserable. To the extent that we are, it is the result of our choices, beginning with Adam. His disobedience and ours keeps us mired in hate, pride, anger and divisiveness. We yield to the manipulations of the evil one: “… your enemy the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8). In contrast, God is ever reaching out in love to us and has made the supreme sacrifice of his Son Jesus to bring us back into fellowship with himself. “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).