Family Discussion: Afghanistan Quake
The following article is designed to help parents dialogue about a current event with their children. It was written at a 7th grade reading level.
READ
On Sunday night in eastern Afghanistan, a 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck (on a scale from 1-10). At least 1,400 people were killed, and over 3,000 were injured.
The quake’s starting point (“epicenter”) was about 17 miles from Jalalabad, near the border separating Afghanistan from Pakistan (see map). The quake was just 5 miles below the surface (most earthquakes are at least 6 miles deep). The shallow epicenter meant more intense shaking on the surface. Weak mud-brick and wooden homes collapsed completely. Aftershocks followed, including a 5.2 magnitude on Monday and a 5.5 magnitude on Tuesday.
Rescue efforts have been challenging. The land is steep; landslides (falling dirt and rocks) have blocked roads; and supplies are hard to come by. The Taliban, a government with harsh rules that’s ruled since 2021, has asked for help from other countries.
Meanwhile, in Africa, Sudan is also asking for help. A landslide in its Darfur region (which is already suffering from war) leveled an entire village on Sunday. An estimated 1,000 people were killed in a “nightmare” scenario, and only one person from the village survived.
ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE
Natural disasters remind us that all of the world has been broken by sin. Join us in praying for comfort, rescue, and ultimately, hope only found through Christ, for the Afghan and Sudanese people.
REFLECT
What might my kids misunderstand about this story?
It’s easy to feel helpless when you hear stories like this, but there’s nothing more powerful we can do than pray.
After a tragedy, people often offer their “thoughts and prayers.” Others complain that thoughts and prayers are no good; what’s really needed is action. And if a person promises “thoughts and prayers” without actually praying… that is pretty much worthless. But the Bible promises that when we do bring everything to God in prayer, that is powerful. There is no mightier action we can take than pleading with the God who commands the orbit of planets; He has (miraculously) promised to hear us and mobilize when we pray (Matthew 7:7-11; James 5:13-16).
So, pray confidently for the people devastated by these natural disasters. God hears the prayers of his people, acting for our good and his glory.
What gospel lesson can be taught through this story?
Christians look forward to a future where there’s redemption not just for people who trust Jesus, but for creation itself.
The apostle Paul writes about the beautiful, pain-free ending that’s coming: “For the creation was subjected to futility—not willingly, but because of him who subjected it—in the hope that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage to decay into the glorious freedom of God’s children” (Romans 8:20-21 CSB).
Just like sin traps people in death, sin traps the earth in decay. But Jesus’s resurrection has sprung the trap, and one day the world will be free from earthquakes, landslides, death, and sorrow. God will make everything new.
RESPOND
Put a list together of prayers God has answered. Thank him for hearing you, and discuss areas of life that you could pray for boldly.
Memorize Hebrews 4:16, “Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need” (CSB).
Pray for those affected by these tragedies—that God would provide for their physical and spiritual needs and that they would have the hope of new life because of Jesus’s resurrection.
Credit: Decaf (The Pour Over for Families). "Earthquake in Afghanistan." September 4, 2025.