© 2013 The Wired Word
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On the morning of April 24, witnesses say an Afghan police officer named
Ainuddin, assigned to provide security at the CURE International Hospital in
Kabul, opened fire at the entrance of the building, killing three American
doctors: Jon Gabel, administrator of a low-cost health clinic at Kabul
University; his visiting father, Gary; and Chicago pediatrician Jerry Umanos,
who worked at the CURE Hospital. Jon Gabel's wife Teresa, also a health care
worker, suffered non-life-threatening injuries.An investigation is ongoing to determine whether a gunshot wound the alleged gunman received to the stomach was self-inflicted or the result of shots fired by other officers responding to the emergency. CURE Hospital doctors, friends of the slain, operated on him before he was transferred to a government hospital. Diana Davidson, a nurse anesthetist who has participated in medical missions in some of the poorest nations around the globe for 15 years described the actions of the hospital staff as "the ultimate turning of the other cheek."
As the U.S.-led coalition continues to draw down troops from the country, attacks on foreigners have increased, causing the deaths of at least 21 civilians and 18 NATO troops since January of this year. "Afghanistan is definitely in the top five of dangerous countries for aid workers," said Larissa Fast of Notre Dame's Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies.
Umanos' wife, Jan Schuitema, a teacher in Afghanistan, said that they did not live in fear, though violence in the country was "a reality." They felt the dangers even more acutely after a dozen aid workers, including his close friend Tom Little, were slaughtered by the Taliban while on a medical mission Jerry helped coordinate in 2010. But risk assessment did not stop him from committing himself to the Afghan people. Instead, he assessed the risks they face every day, and decided to work in Afghanistan because it was '"the most dangerous place to be born," according to journalist Mindy Belz.
So Umanos commuted 7,000 miles for over seven years, juggling responsibilities at Lawndale Christian Health Center in a troubled Chicago neighborhood with his work in Kabul.
"Jerry clearly wanted to use his medical training where he could have the most impact," Arthur Jones, Lawndale's founding physician, said. "He could have worked as a pediatrician anyplace and drawn a much bigger salary." Instead, he trained Afghan doctors and nurses in best medical practices and "didn't just take care of the least of these, he took care of the smallest of these," CURE International President and CEO Dale Brantner said, referring to Umanos' special work with high-risk premature infants.
Speaking softly and haltingly after learning of the deadly attack, Jan Schuitema said of her husband Jerry, "He always had a desire to be the hands and feet of Christ. He was always a light for Christ and he had a love and commitment that he expressed for the Afghan people because of that love for Christ."
"Our family has suffered a great loss," she added. "We don't hold any ill will toward Afghanistan in general or even the gunman who did this."
Afghans who knew Umanos said, "He was just like our brother" and called him "our best friend." David Smith remembers taking his sick triplets to see Dr. Umanos in Kabul, after which the doctor made a house call just to check on them. "My prayer," he wrote, "is that God would send a thousand Dr. Jerrys in his place."
More on this story can be found at these links:
CEO Statement Regarding Shooting at CURE International Hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan. CURE International
Widow of Doctor Slain in Kabul Forgives Attacker. CBN
Americans Die in Grim Trend in Afghanistan. New York Times
Christian Doctor Killed in Afghan Attack. World
Cure International Hospital Shooting Victim Remembered: 'He Really Did Love Afghanistan.' PennLive.com
The Big Questions
1. Who might your enemies be? Kids at school who have bullied your child? People with whom you disagree vehemently on a political or church issue? A family member who has hurt you emotionally or in other ways? A boss who fired you? A co-worker who lied about you and dragged your name through the mud? How does your faith help you learn how to relate to such people?
2. How hard is it to show mercy, the way the medical staff at CURE Hospital did to the alleged murderer, toward someone who has hurt you? Give an example of a time you had the opportunity to choose not to hold ill will toward such a person. Did you harbor resentment, develop a root of bitterness, or lash out at your enemy, or did you treat them the way Umanos' widow treated her husband's killer? Why did you react the way you did?
3. What scriptures come to your mind in the wake of tragedies such as these?
4. Janelle Gustafson said of Dr. Umanos on the CURE International website: "He was a true follower of Christ, not just a fan." What is the difference between "a true follower" and "just a fan" of Christ? Which are you?
5. If you were the gunman who attacked and killed the doctors, how would it affect you if you knew the doctors' families and friends were praying for you? What do you think is his greatest need? Could you bring yourself to pray for him? If so, what would your prayer be?
Confronting the News With Scripture and Hope
Here are some Bible verses to guide your discussion:
Matthew 5:7, 44-45, 48
Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. ... Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. ... Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (For context, read 5:7, 10-12, 43-48.)
Jesus teaches his disciples that they are to behave differently from those around them who only love those who can reciprocate; instead, they are to pattern their response to their enemies after God's behavior.
Questions: What effect might treating enemies with mercy and love have on them? On you? On others who are watching how you treat those who mistreat you? How does loving and praying for your enemies make you a child of your Father in heaven? When have you ever had to actually live out the Beatitudes? What was the hardest thing you ever did when attempting to apply the gospel in your own life?
Luke 9:51-55
[Jesus] set his face to go to Jerusalem. ... On their way they entered a village of the Samaritans to make ready for him; but they did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. When his disciples James and John saw it, they said, "Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?" But he turned and rebuked them. (For context, read 9:51-56.)
As Jesus set out toward the cross, a village of Samaritans refused to show him even the customary hospitality that one might normally expect to receive in that culture, because he was headed toward Jerusalem. Luke doesn't suggest that the Samaritans had any personal animosity toward Jesus, but rather a beef with Jerusalem. We know from his encounter with the woman at the well in John 4:20 that the Samaritans worshiped on a mountain in Samaria, while the Jews viewed Jerusalem as the place of worship. James and John took offense at the way the Samaritans treated Jesus and were ready to call down fire from heaven to consume their enemies. Jesus didn't take kindly to that suggestion.
Questions: When is the last time you felt the way James and John did toward a person or group? Why does it feel "right" to "defend Jesus' honor"? When might it be right to do so? (In other words, how does one discern when one should and when one should not?) Why did Jesus rebuke the disciples in this case? Why does Jesus rebuke us when we act that way?
Has there been a time when you stood up for the "Samaritans" when a fellow believer criticized someone simply for being part of a group classified as the enemy? Was there a time you felt you ought to have done so and did not? Has someone chastised you for comments about "Samaritans"?
Luke 22:47-51
While [Jesus] was still speaking, suddenly a crowd came, and the one called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him; but Jesus said to him, "Judas, is it with a kiss that you are betraying the Son of Man?" When those who were around him saw what was coming, they asked, "Lord, should we strike with the sword?" Then one of them struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his right ear. But Jesus said, "No more of this!" And he touched his ear and healed him. (For context, read 22:45-53.)
Into the Garden of Gethsemane, normally noted for peace and beauty, treachery and betrayal entered, just as violence entered the hospital in Kabul in recent days. Instead of healing, joy and life came pain, sorrow and death. One of those close to Jesus, watching the crowd coming to arrest him, instinctively struck out with the sword. But again Jesus calls a halt to the violence and returns good for evil, healing for the suffering he would endure.
Questions: Why do you think Jesus had his disciples bring swords to Gethsemane? How do you think the slave of the high priest would have felt about Jesus if Jesus had not touched his ear and healed him? How do you think he felt about Jesus after he healed him, knowing that he was part of the crowd who had come to arrest him? What impact do you think the actions of the colleagues of Dr. Umanos may have on the murderer? On those who witnessed their response?
Mark 8:34-35
He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it." (For context, read 8:34-37.)
Jesus forewarned his disciples to be prepared for his suffering, murder and resurrection, but they didn't want to hear about the cost of discipleship any more than we do today. When Bruce Steffes, MD, learned about the killing of the doctors in Kabul, he wrote: "Those of us who work in the developing world realize the price that sometimes must be paid to follow Christ's call on our lives." And Ashe Michael commented on the CURE International website, "When CURE accepts the challenges of going into places like Afghanistan, it is with the knowledge and acceptance that we might have to pay the highest sacrifice we can give, our life, so that others might live. Dr. Jerry paid the price with his life so that hundreds of children could live because of his care."
Questions: If you had been in the crowd listening to Jesus when he made this statement, and you had seen people crucified on crosses before, how would you have reacted? Would you have reconsidered the whole idea of following Jesus? How are you denying yourself and taking up your cross and following Jesus to Calvary today? Are you really willing to lose your life for his sake and for the sake of the gospel?
Philippians 4:4-7
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (No context needed.)
CURE International President and CEO Dale Brantner requested: "Please pray with the 1,600 CURE employees worldwide that God would comfort the families of these victims as well as all those affected by this tragedy and give them a peace that truly defies human understanding."
Questions: In circumstances such as the murder of one's loved one, how can one have "a peace that truly defies human understanding," "the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding"? Is it really possible? From whence does such peace come? How does praying for your enemy help bring you the peace of God that guards your heart and mind in Christ Jesus?
On the face of things these sayings sound obvious, as if they should be the default settings of our lives. On the other hand, our lives often make it seemingly impossible to rejoice in the Lord always. How grating do you find words like these from well wishers when you are suffering, such as, for instance, when you are grieving over a loved one and someone tells you we should rejoice because the loved one is in heaven? What rewards have you found when seeking the peace of Christ in unpeaceful situations?
For Further Discussion
1. Respond to this comment from an online poster identified as Rick Manning: "Jerry had the gift of hospitality. He never ate for the sake of eating. Rather, he ate for the sake of getting to know and love people. And in this, Jerry reminds me very much of our Lord. For our Lord, sharing meals is always a cause for celebration. The Lord started revealing this to me today at Mass and especially during the Lord's Prayer. How many times had Jerry and I said that prayer together? I am not sure, but I know we did so together again today. As we said the prayer, I closed my eyes and instead of folding my hands in front of me, held them out to my sides. On my right, I was holding the hand of Dan Terry who was holding the hand of Tom Little who was holding the hand of other Christians who have spilled their blood in Afghanistan. Standing on my left was Jerry." (See this link: Men Who Made a Difference.)
2. Here are some online prayers offered in the immediate aftermath of this tragedy:
- Ben Hoogendoorn: "I pray for protection and courage for all serving in CURE hospitals and that this senseless act will not deter anyone from answering the call to serve in His Kingdom work."
- Brian Bowman: "We pray that the Lord will be glorified through this situation."
- Arthur Aseka: "Through this tragedy, may the Lord embolden the commitment of CURE leadership and staff in continuous service."
- Sharon Gibbons: "Lord Jesus bring Your presence into this situation."
- Mary Ann Miller Rodrigues: "My prayers are with Jerry's family, the CURE staff, and the patients in Afghanistan. As you continue [to] minister to the physical needs of God's children, may His word go forth and take root in their hearts."
Take time now or during the week to offer prayer for those touched by this tragedy.
Responding to the News
This might be a good time to plan how you can turn the tables on your enemies by not returning evil for evil, but instead by returning good for evil. How can you be "the hands and feet of Christ" in your community, even to your enemies?
Closing Prayer
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