She* was among the lucky ones.

Life in the desert was difficult, but together, her family got by. One day, like every other, she was quietly going about her chores, tending to her family’s needs. A noise drew her to the door of their thatch-roofed hut. In the sky, she saw planes approaching. Soon, loud and terrifying explosions split the air. Her baby boy began to howl. Her older children clawed at her, wanting to be held and protected. Others had warned her this would happen. Her village was being bombed.

When the blasts ceased, the family crept outside to survey the carnage. Wailing rose from the few huts that hadn’t been reduced to rubble.

Militiamen, armed and authorized by the government, arrived in a cloud of dust. On horseback and camels, they were coming to finish the racial cleansing. The woman and her family were somehow inferior. In what way? There was no time to think about such things.

The attackers beheaded her husband before her eyes, ripped her baby from her arms and smashed his head in. Her other children disappeared. Five men took a break from burning and shooting to gang-rape the woman. After beating her with their gunstocks, they left her for dead. But she clung to life.

She was among the lucky ones.

More than a quarter million people have died in Darfur, Sudan. More than two million others have become refugees. They are left with nightmarish memories and little else. They’ve lost loved ones, homes and livelihoods, and are unable to provide for their own needs. Girls as young as 8 are raped, even in refugee camps.

The people of Darfur are not the only ones suffering today. A cursory look at the headlines reveals the ugly, sinister face of evil infiltrating our world. There is no escape from its presence — in Darfur, the Middle East, Europe … and cities and towns in America. Sometimes it smashes its way into our own lives as well.

How should we — how can we — respond? It would be easier to shut our minds from images like these. But that’s not a legitimate option.

Jesus identifies those He invites to inherit the kingdom by their works. He explains, “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me’” (Matthew 25:34-40).

Our Response
In the end, we will stand before God, to whom we must give account. He has called us to respond to the hurting people around us.

The first step in responding to evil must be to turn to the One who is able to meet every need. He doesn’t require us to come to Him with elaborate or abundant words. He doesn’t need our suggestions regarding how to deal with the problems of the world. Rather, He desires humble hearts that recognize Him as the God who is able to meet needs. God loves and cares for those who are suffering.

What should we pray? That God will be glorified; that justice will prevail. Lift leaders, governments, aid workers and organizations, victims, and even the oppressors before the Lord. When we are bereft of words, the Spirit will take over. But we must pray and make a habit of it.

We should also pray for God’s direction about what we can practically do. God can accomplish amazing things through one person; when we join others in a cause, the potential is even greater.

These are practical ways we can help the suffering and oppressed:

• Research an area of the world in crisis. The International Crisis Group Web site (www.crisisgroup.org/home) posts weekly updates, reports about conflicts and suggestions about what we can do.
• Choose one or two actions — locally or globally — and set a reasonable goal and timeframe for accomplishing them. (Lack of concrete goals or goals that are overly ambitious nearly guarantee failure.)
• Evaluate our lifestyle and spending habits. Consider how we can use what God has blessed us with to minister to others — particularly those who barely have enough to live on.

We can help our children learn to respond to the plight of the suffering as well. Some suggestions:

• Help them save money to give to a Christian ministry that helps suffering children such as International Child Care Ministries
(www.childcareministries.org), World Vision (www.worldvision.org) or Compassion International (www.compassion.com).
• Help them learn how and what to pray by reading through a book such as Window on the World by Daphne Spraggett.
• Let them personally fill a shoebox for another child through Operation Christmas Child (www.samaritanspurse.org).
• Globally, many children eat substantially less than we do. We can give our kids a feel for what it’s like for children in other places by having rice — rice alone — for dinner one day a week.

Although the problems in our world seem overwhelmingly complex, through prayer we can give these immense and troublesome weights to the One who is strong enough to carry them. Then, with the strength He gives, we can act to help, love and show mercy to those who are suffering. o

*Note: “She” is a character composite representing real-life characters and situations.