On Wednesday, June 17, 2015 a 21-year old white man, Dylann Roof, senselessly murdered nine African Americans in a Bible Study at Emmanuel AME Church in Charleston, SC.  

The murderer joined them for one hour in the Bible Study.  It is reported that he considered changing his plan because he thought the people were nice.  

But he decided to go ahead because he reasoned that if he doesn’t do it then no one would do it.  He was, obviously, on an evil mission.  

The evidence coming out shows that he was filled with deep-seated hatred for black people.  To me this sounds devilish and that may be the primary reason for his action.

Here are four ways to understand the reason for suffering, especially when it is senseless like the murder of the nine people in Charleston:

1.    Theology: Let’s remember the unfathomable ways of an inestimable God.  The Bible describes this attribute of God in Isaiah 55:8-9: "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD.  "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

The fact that you cannot see a purpose in an incident does not mean there is no purpose in the incident.  Remember Joseph’s seemingly senseless suffering.  God’s action is steeped in his wisdom and knowledge that you cannot comprehend.

2.    Anthropology: Let’s remember the reality that man is born with intrinsic evil and that he has free will. Some people grow away from the evil and others grow deeper in the evil until they perpetrate senseless acts.

3.    Christology: Let’s remember that Jesus experienced human pain and suffering that was senseless and yet was victorious at the end.  As disciples sometimes we also face this type of senseless suffering as the servant cannot be greater than master.  But in the eternal time-line (not the earthly time-line) we shall be victorious.

4.    Eschatology (End Times): Let’s remember that eventually God will stamp out evil. There will be a last Judgment after the Second Coming of Christ.  Pain and suffering will be eliminated in God’s new creation.

In a situation like this, as Christians, there are four things we must do:

1.    We are called upon to forgive the offender for he doesn’t know what he is doing.  

2.    Because of the offender’s stated purpose of perpetrating this evil in order to spark a race war we should each behave in a way to promote peace among people of all races, nationalities, and religions in order to defuse his agenda. “Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God.” (Matthew 5:9)

3.    We have to allow justice to take its course according to the laws of civil society.

4.  We have to pray for the victims’ families and pray for God’s mercy on the offender.