Did He "Have" to Do It?

James Foley

This morning in Forum we discussed the concept of being "Called," i.e., doing something because you feel called by God - a "higher calling."

The discussion was based on the concept that Jim Foley, the journalist and photographer who was abducted by ISIS and was beheaded on August 19th, was in Syria doing his job because he was "called" to it.

 Jim was a devout Catholic.  He was a graduate of Marquette University, a Jesuit school.  And, like Pope Francis who is also a Jesuit, Jim felt called to help the poor and disenfranchised.  As his mother, Diane said, "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."

Foley knew the risks.  He'd been captured in Libya in 2011 and held for 44 days.  So what do you think?  Did he "have" to do it?

Is there a difference between a call and a career opportunity?  For me, the calling has been a totally different thing - way more sacrificial and scary.  I've been "called" to do things I would never have dreamed of doing on my own.  Sometimes they were connected with my job - sometimes not.

I don't think it's a matter of what we do - but why we do it.  And, sometimes, why we can't not do it.


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