One of my sons is a freshman at Michigan State University, where a mass shooting took place on Monday night. He called me that night at my home in New York and said, “Dad, there’s a shooting and people have been killed here, but I’m OK.”

I was grateful to hear from him, and my heart went out to this community and everyone affected. So I said to my son, “Let’s pray,” which is something I’ve consistently found helpful in troubling or tragic situations.

We talked about embracing the entire campus and community in our prayers, and that included praying about our view of the alleged gunman. Why include this in one’s prayers when someone has done such a terrible thing, and in a location that put a loved one at risk? Simply put, because such prayer keeps us from succumbing to the temptation to look for and expect the worst in others in the future. It provides protection, comfort, and healing. And I’ve learned through experience and through studying the Bible and the writings of Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer of Christian Science, that the most effective prayer embraces all.