What do you say to the parents of an eight-year-old, killed in a despicable terrorist bombing?

Someone I know told me about the Boston Marathon bombing, the deaths and leg amputations, and then said, "can you say thank you Jesus?"
To which I answered, "I can always say that."
And she returned, "so appropriate in times of dead children."

Well, since I'm not an insensitive lout, I do not actually have knee-jerk reactions like that in times of trouble. It started me thinking about what I would have said, had it been up to me to speak to the parents about their boy's murder. And let me say first, that since I have no relationship with those grieving people, I would not be barging in to say, "Be sure to thank God for this - have a nice day!" Honestly! When people are blaming God for bad things that happen, they tar us believers with the same brush of their prejudice, and figure we just don't care, as God obviously doesn't, since He allowed this to happen.

Okay, so here goes:

I am deeply saddened by your son's murder, at his death at such an early age, for absolutely no possible good reason. I have not been so personally touched by such violence in my own life, and so I can only attain a small fraction of your shock and grief; but I can tell you this: God and the father of my lord, Jesus Christ, knows your grief and shares it more deeply than you can imagine. He is the author of life, and death is abhorrent to him. He is the essence of good, and evil is likewise abhorrent to him.

I often wish He would be a little more discriminating and prevent stuff like this from happening, you know, really bad stuff. But then where do you draw the line? Shall I counsel God in matters of good and evil? If God did not tolerate evil in this world, we would all be dead; but I can assure you, folks, that your son's murder will be made right in the end. God has taken a huge personal risk in making the world the way it is, and allowing it to be marred by sin, a beautiful work of art vandalized; yet the vandalism itself provides an opportunity not otherwise available to manifest the greatness of his love and grace, his judgement and mercy. He has taken this awful sin into account, with all the other sins of the world, and has paid for it with his own blood. He is going to manifest his greatness one day by making this all come out right, to his glory; I don't know how. I hope it comforts you to know that this is not the end of the story of your son.