a tribute

On February 9, 2015, parents identified a body as that of their daughter, Kayla Mueller, put to a gruesome death by ISIS.  As a young girl, Kayla initiated her life of service with Big Brothers Big Sisters, organizing a local Amnesty International chapter, and protesting genocide in Darfur.  After graduating in political science, this young woman served in orphanages in India, assisted Tibetan and African refugees, and the International Solidarity Movement.  Kayla returned to Arizona working in an HIV/AIDS treatment center and a homeless shelter for women.   Less than two years later in 2012, she returned to serve refugees in Turkey near the Syrian Border. 

“For as long as I live, I will not let this suffering be normal,” Kayla said in May 2013.  Three months later in August she was taken hostage by ISIS after exiting a Doctors Without Borders hospital in Aleppo, Syria.  Her father Carl shared his daughter’s words from a birthday letter, “I will always seek God.  Some people find God in church.  Some people find God in nature. Some people find God in love; I find God in suffering.  I’ve known for some time what my life’s work is, using my hands as tools to relieve suffering.”

Kayla’s loss of life as does so many beg the question, why do bad things happen to such good people?  I have no answer to that.  Man acts in imperfect ways and has since the beginning of time.  This original sin we inherit and contribute to as a community, … hatred, racial, sexual, economic biases, global warming, selfishness, inconsistencies with the protection and sanctity of life….  God did not create these, nor does He/She send natural disasters, floods, tsunamis, droughts as warnings or punishments to reprimand us or to test us.  We, as society, inflict ugliness in life, … war, greed, crime, prejudice … upon us and test each other in cruel, depredating ways.  Do we accept the injustices to others as unfortunate or inevitable?

Evil, death, and original sin does not define us.  We live in uncertain times.  God is devastated that a selfless, generous girl traveling the world serving the poor and suffering died alone in filth under horrific cruelty.  But rising from the Son’s degradation, humiliation, persecution and death of Good Friday, God created within us resilience coupled with grace to perform powerful, amazingly profound, compassionate acts.  Kayla did not die for the suffering.  The suffering found life in her!

Through Kayla and many in our own community, men, women, and yes, our children, God acts to co-create miracles within and among us bringing goodness and protecting the dignity of others.   

Easter is God’s promise, God’s victory over Good Friday!