When the world mocks prayer Christians must pray even harder

By Theodore Hoham | Commentary, The Federalist

This week, we join with the universal church in praying for the students and families of Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis after another shooting targeted at Christians. It’s horrifying to hear about another act of violence against children who bear the name of Christ. It’s also horrible to realize we’ve somehow become accustomed to hearing about such things.

Increasingly, it seems that these “random acts” are not random at all but intentionally directed at those little ones who confess faith in Jesus Christ and in the truth of his holy Word. This shouldn’t come as a surprise, for our Shepherd has told us that “a servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:20).

After every one of these incidents, the question is asked repeatedly, “What is to be done?” Is the answer better security? Better training for teachers and staff? Better mental health resources? More legislation?

Certainly, earthly and pragmatic steps can be taken to better ensure our children’s safety, and these should be fully pursued insofar as they are wise and beneficial. After all, we have a vocational responsibility to care for our children, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

However, a single-minded focus on earthly responses — while necessary in terms of physical safety — puts us at risk of seeing evil through a materialistic lens, as if there were no metaphysical reality lurking behind the human evil we see so often. Saint Paul warns us against this kind of thinking, telling us that “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).

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