I have just a short, simple thought to offer here this morning; it comes in response to the sad news of the death of Kayla Mueller at the hands of ISIS.
Mueller, a 26-year old from Arizona, travelled to Syria because she loves people, and because she wanted to do what she could to help ease the suffering of the victims of war.
Today I am deeply troubled because I have already heard her name being used to support rhetoric designed as a rallying cry for more violent retaliation.
How in God’s name (and I use that phrase deliberately) can more death and destruction possibly honor the great personal sacrifice of humanitarian heroes like Kayla Mueller? Do we not get it by now?
So long as this cycle of violence continues, we are telling the world that we still defer to ISIS vis-à-vis the rules of engagement.
People like Kayla Mueller are courageous enough to offer an alternative to the sickening brutality and the constant bloodshed. Maybe we should all follow her lead instead?
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still praying for peace in the Middle East What it, instead of committing airstrikes and ground forces to the region, we committed more humanitarian aid?
- What if goodness and compassion defined both the foundation and the projection of our “super”power?
- What if self-sacrifice governed foreign policy rather than self-interest?
- What if, every time another Kayla Mueller gave her life, 100 more took her place?
Just thinking out loud – DEREK
Derek, I agree with the vast majority of what you write. I’m not sure, however, that I can here though. The internet is not the place for this deep and nuanced of a conversation, but I will say that sometimes showing love to people is loving them enough to correct them severely enough that they are not able to hurt anyone else. Just like I love my children enough to punish them even though it breaks my heart to see them cry. I know that my comments are overly simplistic and not at all nuanced. Perhaps we will have to save this conversation for a day when we can enjoy a glass of tea together.
I’d love that tea together. Soon I hope.
Your response is no more simplistic than my column!
I know it’s complicated, and I know correction is needed. I just want to load up this side of the conversation and make sure we don’t do the same knee-jerk response we did in Iraq… all politics and no thinking makes for bad policy!
Very well said!! Amen!
Thanks, Heidi 🙂
Reblogged this on Love Freely and commented:
This hurts my heart. But seeing her love for Jesus makes it a little better, because I know whose arms are cradling her tonight, and every day until eternity.
If only some of us were as courageous as she was. We talk well, but our actions have not aligned with what we have spoken. May Kayla sleep in peace😔
Reblogged this on Mrs. Rathgeber's Electronic Notebook.