James Foley: Slain While Pursuing His Calling

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U.S. citizen James Foley was doing his job as a journalist and photographer, documenting in words and pictures the suffering of people in the Syrian Civil War, when he was abducted by a Syrian militia group November 22, 2012. Eventually, he was put into the hands of the self-proclaimed jihadist group Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), who beheaded him on August 19, saying his slaying was in retaliation for U.S. air strikes against ISIS forces in Iraq.

Foley was a Roman Catholic Christian, and at a mass for him following his slaying, Bishop Peter Libasci made it clear that Foley's job was not merely an income-producing activity, but was also his vocation, his calling from God. The bishop said that Foley was living his faith by filing images and reports of people suffering from war and oppressive regimes.

Foley's kidnapping in Syria was not his first detention for pursuing his work; he'd been captured in Libya in 2011 and held for 44 days. But, said the bishop, Foley "went back again that we might open our eyes."

Following Foley's death, David McKay Wilson, who had interviewed Foley in 2011, wrote in USA Today that "Foley was a devout Christian who, unlike most journalists I've known during my almost four decades in the field, was unapologetic about his heart for social justice and the inspiration he found for his beliefs in the New Testament."

The slain journalist's parents, John and Diane Foley, explained on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" that their son's experience while an undergrad at Marquette University, a Catholic and Jesuit school, helped him choose his life's course.

"Jimmy was challenged when he first met poverty and disadvantage at Marquette University," John Foley said. "Since that moment his soul and heart grew and grew and grew to encompass all those people who needed help, needed their stories told. He began to love all and that was his biggest gift to the people he met. His love and his help."

When one of the "Morning Joe" hosts suggested that the younger Foley grew to feel a responsibility to help others, John Foley responded, "He ran with it. He grew stronger and more committed."

"He was home in October 2012 for his birthday," Diane Foley said. "He looked so good. I said, 'Jim, can't you stay home through Christmas?' He said, 'Oh, Ma, I have to go back, but I will be home for Christmas.' He had made promises. He was so committed to the people whose suffering he was trying to humanize. He wanted the world to know, to know how people were suffering, particularly the children."

More on this story can be found at these links:

Bishop: Slain US Journalist Foley Opened Our Eyes. Yahoo! News 
James Foley: Beheading Victim Had Deep Faith. USA Today 
Foley's Parents Say His Marquette Experience Sparked His Life's Mission. Journal Sentinel

The Big Questions
Here are some of the questions we will discuss in class:

1. Does God call every Christian to some vocation (which may or may not coincide with that person's means of earning a living)? Does God often call individuals to more than one vocation at a time? Explain your answer.

2. How can you tell the difference between a call from God and a "career opportunity"? Can they ever be one and the same? How do we know? What do you consider your vocation? How do you distinguish between a call from God and an itching of your own for change? How might your current job (or former job, if retired or unemployed) be considered service to others?

3. Are some callings from God for a limited term? Are some callings from God sequential rather than permanent? Explain your answer. Although we are impressed (rightfully so) with those who give years of service to others, is there a qualitative difference between vocations that last a short versus a long time?

4. Does every call from God require sacrifice from us? Why or why not? Even if a calling requires sacrifice, does it count as a sacrifice if we also enjoy ourselves? Can a vocation lie in recruiting others to make sacrifices and engage in mission or ministry?

5. When has a news report or photos of some situation far from where you live "opened your eyes"? Did you hear any kind of calling in that? Once your eyes were "opened," what form did your response take?

Confronting the News With Scripture and Hope
We will look at selected verses from these Scripture texts. You may wish to read these in advance for background:

Amos 7:10-17
Nehemiah 1:1--2:8
Luke 5:1-11
Acts 16:6-10
1 Corinthians 7:17-24

In class, we will talk about these passages and look for some insight into the big questions, as well as talk about other questions you may have about this topic. Please join us.