I watched a woman cry this morning, and I wondered, did she lose someone overnight?

My heart breaks for the chaos. Last year, I heard about a public classroom where students were commenting on their fears. They seemed to believe nowhere was safe. I don’t suspect their parents knew these fears, yet it was ingrained into them. This is modern American, and sadly, it’s getting worse. Someday, there will be another broadcast. There will be more reasons to fear.

But we don’t have to fall apart when the world is in tragedy. God remains in control.

This past week, we didn’t travel home. We visited friends in Washington D.C., and I walked into a church as a stranger. It’s one of the most awkward and rewarding feelings. We watched our brothers and sisters sing. We took in the preaching with them. It was overwhelming, in a city hours from home. It showed me God’s heart in a very distinct way. He’s still working His plan in places I will never see. It gave me a glimpse of heaven. I probably won’t worship with those believers again, not here on earth. So in a very profound way, I celebrated like I will someday in eternity.

If you’ve never stopped at a church away from home, maybe it’s time you try. Make sure it’s biblically based before you visit. Sit in the back. Newbies tend to sit there, and you get a better view. Participate but watch. You’ll get a glimpse of what it’s like to walk in as a stranger, and you’ll see the heart of the church. Not the building you walked into but the people. People who are strangers but somehow family. It will change how you see ministry, the church, and God’s unwavering love for you. It will change how see the events of today.

Terrorists attacks do not waver the church. We are united in something far greater. God allows man to choose good or evil, but He still has a plan. God’s ways are not ours. He will use evil for good. He will carry out His eternal plan, despite the chaos around us. So with a heavy heart, I know the world is grieving. I hate the pain, but I know my God is in control. He’s given me a family of strangers, and a love for their heart. God uses the church as a solution. We have what the world needs to make sense of the chaos. Take a different look at your church, not the building, but the people. Take a look at God’s purpose for them. Take a look at yourself. Are you leaving a legacy? Does your church impact the chaos? It should…

I don’t know much about the church in Belgium, but I pray their heart steps up in these moments. They have an antidote, and the world needs to know.