We live in a broken world filled with broken people. We walk through life fearing the end of the world: a zombie apocalypse, meteors from space, inexplicable fire running rampant through our streets. But it seems as though we’re afraid to consider the chilling alternative: the destruction of humanity may not be in the hands of zombies, but in humans themselves.

There are moments in life that bring even the strongest of men to their knees, praying to a higher power that they’re almost convinced no longer exists. There are moments that make us question the beliefs we carry with us night and day. And there are moments that make us wonder if everything really does happen for a reason. What was the reason for the September 11th attacks in New York twelve years ago or the movie theater shooting in Colorado last year? What was the reason for the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut last December? And what was the reason for the two bombs detonated in Boston, Massachusetts this past April? Was it a hate crime? A group of angry individuals? Was it terrorism? We sit on our couches watching the news, drive in our cars listening to the radio, and scroll through live Internet updates on our computers. Eventually, some questions may be answered and details may emerge. But the eternal question, “Why?" will forever be unanswered, remaining a fragmented whisper on our quivering lips.

In the face of tragedy, it is easy to give up hope. It is easier to ignore the current pain than it is to confront the future grieving. The sun will rise and set like it does every day and we will go to bed wondering if today’s news will soon be replaced by yet another tragedy. But it shouldn’t be like that, and we have the power to prevent that destruction from happening. We must let ourselves grieve and weep and we must allow ourselves to curse at the moon for letting such tragedies happen. But we also must promise ourselves to remain hopeful.

We are a unique species. We make each other frown and smile, cry and laugh. But in the face of tragedy, the unexpected occurs: we are no longer divided by skin color, religious beliefs, or ethnicity. We wipe each others tears away and pick each other up in the most vulnerable of times and join together in the realization that we are not a mixing bowl of races but we are one race, the Human Race. It is these moments we must cling to despite our tears and heartbreak. Because holding on to the precious and fragile truth that we are brothers and sisters of the human race may ensure that our world, our home, is never truly broken.