Finding light in the darkness of Bondi
- deansimpson7
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
REFLECTION
BY MITCHELL EVANS Sydney City Salvos Mission Team Leader
Like many, I sat in disbelief on Sunday night as images of Bondi Beach flashed across the screen.
These are places where I’ve shared countless moments of joy with my family – the overpass that usually signals excitement as the ocean comes into view, the playground where laughter echoed during endless games of chase, and the park where we’ve enjoyed picnics together.
Seeing these familiar spaces associated with violence felt surreal and heartbreaking.
When I received a call on Monday asking me to be part of The Salvation Army’s presence in the aftermath of the Bondi terror incident, I didn’t hesitate and made my way there.
As we walked along the promenade and made ourselves available to the community, the atmosphere was heavy with stunned silence. Beneath Bondi’s reputation for glitz and glamour lies a deeply connected community – a network of care and friendship.
This tragedy has shaken the community to its very core.
Throughout the day, I spoke with people from all walks of life, simply checking in and offering a listening ear. Some needed solitude, while others poured out their grief and fear. A few conversations from Monday have stayed with me, and I'm sure they’ll stay with me for some time to come.
One in particular was a lady I noticed not long after I arrived, a little way up the path, sitting by herself with tears in her eyes. I slowly made my way over to where she was and introduced myself before asking if she needed to talk. Before long, we were sitting side by side on the wall overlooking an almost-empty beach. Then, through her tears, she shared, “The world has no humanity anymore.”
While her words were few, the pain she felt was heavy and very real. We sat quietly together, gazing at the vast ocean and the waves rolling in.
The ocean has always been a sacred space for me – a place where creation speaks loudly of our Creator. Its vastness reminds me of God’s greatness, His ‘big-ness’, and the rhythm of the waves whispers of His constant, unshakable character. No matter what storms rage in life, the waves keep rolling in – steady, relentless, like His love.
In seasons of difficulty, I often find myself drawn to the shoreline. There, with the horizon stretching endlessly before me, I try to block out the world’s unrelenting noise and focus on the One who holds it all together. For me, the ocean becomes a sermon without words: its depth points to God’s mercy, its power to His strength, its constancy to His faithfulness. I can’t stop the waves, and I wouldn’t want to – they remind me that His grace never ceases.
I was reminded that even when the world feels broken, God is still present.
And now, in the wake of tragedy, I found myself there again. The same ocean, the same waves, the same God. This time, I was not alone. Around me were others – neighbours, strangers, friends – each carrying their own grief, questions, and fears from the night before. Yet there we sat – some together, some alone, just looking out at the water. I was reminded that even when the world feels broken, God is still present. His love is still relentless. His character is still unshaken.
After sitting in silence together for some time, I shared what had been stirring in my heart as we gazed out across the beautiful sands of Bondi Beach: these two men showed the worst of humanity, but they do not define it. Even in the face of hate, we witnessed an avalanche of love – people stepping into danger to help strangers, choosing compassion and love for others – over fear.
Together, we began recalling stories of courage and kindness we’d heard in the news and from others we’d spoken to: ordinary people doing extraordinary things with whatever they had. This is humanity at its best. As we shared and encouraged one another, the focus shifted, even for that moment, from those who intended to destroy to the goodness we’ve seen in our world – even in the most difficult times.
After a while, I said goodbye and went on my way to continue connecting with people. As I walked, I reflected that for those of us who follow Jesus, this is the call – to be light in darkness, to reflect His love when the world feels broken. Because even when evil tries to speak the loudest, goodness and grace still have the final word.
