You have probably heard the news from the United States, that someone apparently fired a gun near, or in the direction of Donald Trump. We know he is a presidential candidate, and his opponent is having his own struggles. We should know that we are at an important time in the history of the world.

Things are getting scary.

• READ: Video captures shooting at Trump rally

I don’t want to choose sides, in any political argument, but you probably have your opinions. Without choosing sides, it is important to know that the world as we know it almost came to an end.

Apparently, a bullet struck the speaker, in the head, but the aim was off slightly if the intention was to kill. The consequences could be something as serious as a civil war, in the most powerful country in the world.

Instability in a large and dominant world power is instability in the whole world.

Imagine if the bullet had traveled at a slightly different angle.

I’m sure there will be more news about this incident and many comments. I am a very small fish in this pond.

And, while I was writing this, my trusty old computer sent me a serious message. Don’t judge me, but my computer is getting old, and soon it will not be supported by Windows. I can’t upgrade.

Yes, I can buy a new computer, but think about all those things in your world, that you rely on. What do we have that we must have tomorrow, or next week, or month? We live our lives on a platform of reliable things, and it’s hard to imagine the world shifting under our feet.

It just shifted.

The world is moving in some direction, and the motion has accelerated. Rapid change could come on us at any time. Possibly it already has. We can wait to see what the fall-out is from the “shots fired” incident.

So, what should we do now? Do we need to change?

There are history lessons that can help us.

Great changes can surprise you. I know someone with military training, and he sometimes talks about the “night the river froze.” I looked it up, and that was apparently December 31, in the year 408.

The Roman Empire had dominated a large part of the world and prospered for centuries. Historians say that everyone expected it to continue forever.

On one cold night, a stretch of the Rhine River froze enough for people to walk across, and people did walk. So many tribespeople from the other side crossed, on that night, that the Roman border guards could not stop them, and the ice walkers decided to stay.

Other tribes people followed, and they spread through the Western Roman Empire. The result was the collapse of the Roman Empire, in the west, and the beginning of the dark ages.

For citizens of the Empire, the foundation under their feet was erased, and that all started on one cold winter night when the river froze.

Also, in another story many centuries ago, the ancestors of the Jewish people lived in a small region called Judea. The center of that small region was their religious and political capital, the city of Jerusalem. In that small city, they had a temple for the worship of God.

Imagine living near a place where the great God, who made everything, was worshiped. They had a foundation in their lives that was tied to the eternal God.

They also had a government from one royal family, the descendants of King David. That royal family was appointed by God, and they were supposed to own that royal throne forever.

Those people had reasons to be confident with the foundation they had in their lives.

One story in the Bible has confused me, but I think we should relearn it. In difficult times, as the Babylonian Empire was expanding in the direction of Judea, people remained confident. They believed in the appointment of God, over their nation.

You may know, that one of the larger books of the Bible is the message from the prophet Jeremiah. Prophets were like preachers who spoke for God. Jeremiah was called “the weeping prophet” and his message was negative. He told the people that change was coming, and their great city of Jerusalem would be destroyed, including the temple.

In the face of this change, Jeremiah reminded them that the foundation was still strong because God in Heaven was with them. One message was sent to exiles, people forced out of their “Holy Land” and forced to live like prisoners in another place. No doubt, they were waiting impatiently for the time when they could return to their sacred homeland.

This message has always seemed strange to me:

“Build houses and settle down. Plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters. Find wives for your sons and allow your daughters to get married so that they too can have sons and daughters. Grow in number; do not dwindle away. Work to see that the city where I sent you as exiles enjoys peace and prosperity. Pray to the Lord for it. For as it prospers you will prosper.” (Jeremiah 29: 5 to 7)

They were told to accept the destruction of everything they trusted in. They were also told to trust in God, who was above all their troubles.

God made them a promise for their lives:

“For I know what I have planned for you,’ says the Lord. ‘I have plans to prosper you, not to harm you. I have plans to give you a future filled with hope.” (Jeremiah 29: 11)

For all of us, I hope we can learn to look higher and find a source of confidence when the foundation seems to be eroding under us.

I hope for the best outcome in the “shots-fired” incident in the United States, but we can see the possibilities. Huge changes could come on us, at any time. We don’t have a safe foundation in this world.

Our best option is to look up.