Where is God In All This Tragedy? Reflections on The Kenyan Westgate Mall Massacre

The calm was shattered around noon local time Saturday. Gunshots erupted as shoppers picked up groceries, savored lunch and browsed through the racks at stores. What was meant to be a normal day became a horror show.

Before long, pools of blood smeared pristine hallways. Bodies lay strewn across the floor.

Uche Kaigwa-Okoye was sipping coffee when he heard what first sounded like a fallen table, then the continuing rat-a-tat of gunfire. As the gunshots became louder, screaming crowds headed for the exits. He joined 20 people who took shelter for about five hours in a women's bathroom cubicle.


For three days, innocent civilians and little kids were held hostage and some killed. Soldiers kept vigil outside the mall, guns dangling from their shoulders. Later in the day, helicopters approached. Red cross reported, that the death toll continued to rise...

So where is God for the left-behind ones who bear witness to these tragedies? Present at all times; we just have to retrain our eyes to see Him...

...In the mum with remarkable presence of mind, who saved her children by urging them all to play dead, then the selfless, brave civilian who saved Portia, a 4year old girl and her family, the steely former British Marine who ran in and out of the building 12 times and rescued 100 people and the 35-year-old French mother who shielded her two children, 6 and 4, from the killers and was shot in the thigh, with her little boy who told one of the terrorists that he was a "Bad man"? After which, the terrorists asked for forgiveness and offered him a chocolate bar.

So don't fear; God is alive and well. He hasn't forgotten. He sticks closer than a brother and nothing can separate us from His love for us even when tragedy strikes.

And He’s especially there in the hearts of me and you as we get busy being the face of the merciful, loving Father here on earth, comforting those who are in pain, so that the next time someone else wonders,"Where is God?" and we show up, they won’t have to wonder for too long.

My heart Goes out to all those who lost loved ones...Stay strong.

God Bless.