Kayla Mueller: God in suffering

Kayla Mueller: God in suffering

“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 Mueller (1988­–2015). Synthesis, Today Quote June 28, 2018 synthesispub.com

Kayla Mueller was a twenty-six-year-old Christian human rights activist and aid worker from Arizona who was taken captive by ISSIS in 2013 in Aleppo, Syria, after leaving a Doctors Without Borders Hospitals. Kayla had been involved in this country with Food not Bombs, in India with Tibetan refugees, in Israel with African refugees, and in Turkey assisting Syrian refugees. She died in captivity in 2015 after being a hostage for 18 months and subjected by all reports to torture and sexual abuse.

Many have called her “the best of America” and the “best of the millennials.” Those who escaped who knew her in captivity when she was subjected to great suffering would agree. She certainly should be considered a present-day martyr, even trying to relieve the suffering of others who were imprisoned with her. She refused to escape with another young Yazidi girls, telling her, “No, because I am American. If I escape with you, they will do everything to find us again.”

God promises to be with us in suffering. We see many who suffer who seem to sense God’s presence with them while others talk of being estranged or abandoned by God. Our world so desperately needs more people like Kayla who have the gift of seeing God in suffering. I think we can do this by showing God’s love more in  actions than words as we care for and let those who suffer know they are loved. In time, those who suffer and feel they have lost God may see God in this neighbor. Then in time they may even see God in themselves again, the God within them. This indeed is our ministry as spiritual friends to each other.

Some of us may not have the overpowering courage and selfless gift of empathy of Kayla, but  there are so many ways to let others who are suffering know they are loved. We can sit and listen. We can help with daily tasks that their suffering keeps them from doing. We can visit. We can call. We can volunteer. We can hug. We can read to them. We can feed the hungry. We can be aware of and  reach out to and support those who are sick, lonely, poor, weak, homeless. So much more.

Joanna joannaseibert.com

Hillesum: Answers

Hillesum: Answers

“Thinking gets you nowhere. It may be a fine and noble aid in academic studies, but you can’t think your way out of emotional difficulties. That takes something altogether different. You have to make yourself passive then, and just listen. Re-establish contact with a slice of eternity.” Etty Hillesum, An Interrupted Life, Daily Quote, June 29, 2018, Inwardoutward.org, Church of the Saviour.

Hans Peter Gauster

Etty Hilesum gives us her formula for finding her way through difficult situations.  Those who make decision using their thinking (T) function, what is reasonable, will probably disagree. Those who make decisions using their feeling (F) function, taking in consideration the importance of relationships may probably agree with Ms. Hilesum. Looking deeper beyond personality types takes us to another level. I think she is trying to tell us to let the committee in our head rest by whatever means we use, reading,  meditation, music, walking, praying, writing, just being. She is telling us to connect to the God within us however we can. We are to try to find an answer from something greater than ourselves. We do not know the exact answer. We will recognize it because we know it will have something to do with love.

Joanna  joannaseibert.com

Guest Writer: Chris Schaefer: Becoming Fathers and Mothers

Guest Writer: Chris Schaefer, Becoming Fathers and Mothers

“What are we going to do when we get home?  When the two sons of the parable of the prodigal son both have returned to their father, what then?. They have to become fathers themselves.  Sons have to become fathers; daughters have to become mothers.  Being children of God involves growing up and becoming like God…How? By welcoming home our lost brothers and sisters the way our Father welcomes us home.” Henri Nouwen, “July 2,” Bread For the Journey, HarperOne 1997.

When I read this, I thought of this picture I took of my daughter and small grandson many years ago. We were at the zoo and one of the animals had frighten my grandson. My daughter bent down to comfort him.  The compassion and love on my daughter’s face rocked my heart.  I realized that she was a mother that not only loved but that knew how to be compassionate.  As her mom, I was so proud and if it was possible I think I loved her more. She had grown up and without even realizing it, was becoming like God.  She knew how to welcome her son into her arms when he needed it.  When he needed to be loved and comforted. That is exactly how each of us feel when we lean into God the Father’s arms when we need to remember we are loved. When we need His comfort.  Our Father welcomes us home. A home that lies in His loving compassionate arms. 

Being compassionate with our friends and family really isn’t hard.  However, Jesus is telling us to be compassionate to our lost brothers and sisters too. To take that opened hearted caring we feel when we love our children and give it to other children of God.  To remember how it feels to be loved by the Father and take that feeling to those we encounter every day.  We are mothers and fathers to all the children of God.  And remembering the look on my daughter’s face helps me be more loving and compassionate to those I meet just like she was in that picture of her with my grandson.

Blessings

Chris Schaefer

Joanna  joannaseibert.com