Parenting Tip 

Prayers for our Brothers and Sisters in Humanity

The death toll in Turkey and Syria continues to rise after a massive earthquake. Christianity Today reports that Christians in those countries were among the first to respond as emergency workers raced against time to find people trapped in the rubble. Some pastors were killed, and several houses of worship were damaged. The death toll has now surpassed 20,000 people.

Photographs that show the human cost of the quake have already begun to circulate the internet. In one, a father holds on to his teen daughter’s hand, though her body has been crushed and she is no longer alive. In another, an older sister drapes her arm around her younger brother to protect his skull from being crushed as they are both trapped under the remains of their home.

Those who share the Christian faith may be questioning how God could let something like this occur, or why horrible things happen to us during our time on earth. It’s hard to understand, and theologians and philosophers have spent their careers trying to find a satisfying answer. We might not understand why these tragedies happen, but it is essential that we keep these families in prayer as our brothers and sisters in humanity.

Here are some questions to consider asking the teen in your life:

• Have you heard news coming from Turkey and Syria? What emotions does it bring up when you learn about it?
• Is there any way that you can physically help or give aid to the people who are most affected by this? Do you know anyone local to you who might have family or friends directly affected? 
• How can we best pray for the people in Syria and Turkey?