“Isa” was arrested in 2010 as a suspected member of a terrorist group that bombed the World Cup in Kampala, Uganda, killing at least 74 people. Yet this teenager’s story began long before. He was abducted from his madrasa by an Al Shabaab operative when he was only eight and forced to attend a radical Islamic school in Somalia. Over the years he witnessed brutal murders, was trained in suicide bombings, and participated in uncounted crimes. He was traumatized. Twice he attempted suicide in prison.

Last year, as part of his post-release program, Isa attended a trauma healing training session in Kampala led by the Bible Society of Uganda. As he encountered for the first time the Bible’s message of forgiveness, this child-jihadist began to question his former identity and understanding of the world. He identified in particular with the story of Joseph, who ended up being the prime minister of Egypt even after he had spent years in prison. “This gives me hope to live on,” he later told the staff. “God, I believe, has something in store for me, just like he did for Joseph.”

Trauma disrupts people’s lives. It shatters their hope for the future and brings profound psychological, emotional, and spiritual repercussions. You know this from your own ministry, don’t you? How many people have you seen shattered by disease, divorce, the loss of a loved one, or some other traumatic event? Most of us have learned not to offer “easy answers” in an attempt at a “quick fix.” Still, the deepest wounds of trauma are often theological in nature. In particular, trauma overwhelms previous systems of meaning, making victims feel like their lives are defined by a painful event and confusing their perception of God. People who endure trauma can lose sight of who they are, where they come from, and where they are going.

Scripture offers us two ways that help restore meaning—and therefore hope—in the aftermath of this kind of suffering.

A Grounding Narrative

The first way the Bible can do this is by giving us a foundational story that helps us understand our lives and gives them meaning.

We understand who we are by reference to others, especially our family and our ancestors, as well as our friends. We also look to cities we grew up in and schools we attended. We talk about difficulties we have faced and the ways they have formed us. For the people of Israel, the first five books of the Bible serve a similar purpose. They explain how God created the nation, formed their identity, and led them through various trials.

A central theme in the Pentateuch is remembering. We see this, for instance, when Moses gives the Ten Commandments and immediately urges, “Israel, remember this!” He tells them to bind the laws to their arms, wear them on their foreheads, and write them on their doorposts and gates. He urges them to do whatever it takes to remember that the Lord alone is God, and to love God with all their heart, soul, and strength.

We today would do well to think of Scripture with this same urgency. The Bible’s story from creation to new creation offers a strong foundation that orients us towards God and grounds our identity as God’s beloved children. As we help people suffering from traumatic events encounter this story, they can discover who (and whose) they are, where they come from, and where they are going. It reminds them that the Lord alone is God—full of justice and compassion and able to redeem every aspect of their lives.

When meeting with people in your congregation who are suffering from a traumatic event, encourage them to write down a passage from Scripture that will help them remember God’s presence in their lives. Tell them to put the passage somewhere they will see it everyday. This could be on a mirror, in their car, or the text on their screensaver at work.

Stories that Foster Hope

A second way Scripture restores hope is through empowering people to see their situations in relation to specific biblical narratives. As people identify with characters and events in Scripture they can begin to glimpse ways their experiences of trauma fit into a bigger context—a story that points to God’s redemption. This both acknowledges their suffering and helps make it less consuming.

The celebration of Passover is one way the Jewish people make their history part of their present hope. This was a central part of Jesus’ upbringing. Every year he joined family and neighbors for the meal that commemorated God’s bringing the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt. As they re-experienced this story through tactile foods, prayers, and liturgies they remembered both the pain of being in slavery and God’s miraculous redemption. This story communicated an important part of Jesus’ history—the people who came before him, trials they overcame, and how God was faithful in their lives.

As we serve people suffering from trauma, we can call on biblical texts like the exodus story to reconnect them with hope. Like the people of Israel they may be experiencing oppression, bondage, or fear of the future. But in turning to this story we can ask the same God that delivered Moses and the Israelites out of Egypt to remember their suffering and walk with them through their trials.

During a pastoral care session with a person who is undergoing trauma, listen carefully to their story. Then, ask if a specific story from Scripture comes to mind. Take a moment to reflect on this story—either through reading the passage or retelling the narrative. Then ask: How do you relate to these characters and situations? What was God’s role? How does this speak to your current experience?

Through remembering those who came before us, we help people affected by traumatic events see their suffering as part of a greater story. Their experiences become less overwhelming. They begin to see their lives in relation to an ongoing narrative and legacy of people who, time and time again, put their trust in God and were not disappointed.

As Isa said, “At this point, I can never look back! The little I have known in the Word of God, it is sweet. I am yearning for more.”