In recent days, our nation has been thrust into a season of deep mourning. Tragedy after tragedy has shaken our collective heart, and pastors across the country are facing the question: how do we shepherd our people through evil and grief?

The brutal assassination of Charlie Kirk—one of the boldest voices for truth in our time—has left a young widow and two children grieving. Coming on the eve of our remembrance of 9/11, the sorrow of a nation already bowed in mourning was multiplied. As if that weren’t enough, we were stunned by the savage murder of 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on a train in Charlotte, NC, while still reeling from the heartbreaking loss of two children in the Catholic school shooting in Minneapolis on August 27th.

These are only a few of the most visible atrocities of the past two weeks. Around the globe, murder, violence, and abuse continue to unfold—reminders that this goes beyond politics. This is nothing less than the face of evil. As pastors, we cannot leave our churches’ response to evil up to social media or the nightly news. Our people are looking to us for guidance. And our guidance must be shaped by God’s Word.

Here are eight biblical responses to evil that can help us shepherd God’s people in moments like these:

1. PAUSE

Our first reaction is often to fight back, to react, sometimes even to overreact. But wisdom calls us to pause. Take a breath. Step back. Neutralize the flood of information and emotion before it controls you.

2. PRAY

Prayer aligns our hearts with God’s heart. It shapes our response into what God expects from us. Pray for the victims. Pray for those directly impacted. Pray even for the perpetrators, just as Jesus prayed for His crucifiers: “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44).

3. PERSPECTIVE

Perspective is shaped by what influences us most. Evil is not ultimately about politics—it is about the demonic powers at work in the world (Eph. 6:12). Psalm 46 reminds us: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble… Be still, and know that I am God” (vv. 1, 10). Truth must shape our perspective, even when our feelings lag behind.

4. PROCESS

Christians sometimes suppress grief and “faith it” instead of facing it. But unprocessed pain surfaces later as anxiety, stress, or even physical issues. Scripture calls us to grieve honestly, to lament, to bring our anger and tears to God (James 1:19–20).

When we ignore our feelings in times of loss, we often bury them in hidden places—but they always surface again. Instead, talk with a trusted friend, name what you feel, and cry out to God. Just don’t stay stuck there. Grief is real, but it is not your identity. If you remain parked in pain, it will color how you see everything. That’s why the next point matters so much…

5. PROTECT YOUR HEART

Evil has a way of exposing the evil within us. Jeremiah reminds us: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jer. 17:9). Our natural instinct is vengeance. But vengeance belongs to the Lord (Deut. 32:35; Rom. 12:19). Shepherding means helping our people guard their hearts from reflecting the very evil they hate.

6. PERSEVERE

We keep moving forward in faith. Paul urges us: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind” (Rom. 12:2). Evil will not have the last word. Our perseverance becomes the soil where sanctification grows.

7. PRAISE

Even in the midst of sorrow, we praise. Psalm 46 ends with this reminder: “I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” (v. 10). Our confidence is in the sovereign God who will one day make all things right.

8. PROMOTE TRUTH

Charlie Kirk’s life reminds us that truth cannot be silenced. We are not here to canonize his words, but to promote the timeless truth of Scripture—clearly, intentionally, and unapologetically. Evil may try to suppress truth, but as history shows, persecution often multiplies it.

A Shepherd’s Charge

Pastors, our calling is to help our people respond to evil in a way that is distinctly Christian:
•    Pause – Don’t react in the flesh.
•    Pray – Align with God’s heart.
•    Perspective – Let truth shape your view.
•    Process – Grieve honestly before God.
•    Protect – Guard your heart against vengeance.
•    Persevere – Keep moving forward in Christ.
•    Praise – Trust God’s sovereignty.
•    Promote – Speak and live God’s truth.

May the Lord give us wisdom, courage, and compassion to shepherd His people well in these difficult days.

In Christ,
Tony & Cedrick