On Saturday, two men brutally murdered American Kristine Luken during a hike in the woods outside Jerusalem. Her hiking companion, Faye Wilson suffered as many as 12 stab wounds but miraculously survived and is currently recuperating in an Israeli hospital from both physical and physiological wounds.
The family of Kristine Luken issued the following statement:
"Our Kristine, like her twin sister, was one of those rare individuals gifted with a 'happy gene,' forever a winning smile and a readiness to engage in open and frank conversation. We found her to be guiless, very much a 'what-you-see-is-what-you-get' kind of person. Yet, this naïveté belied her inner determination to ultimately live permanently in Israel. She visited Israel at every opportunity. She loved your countryside and was an avid hiker; Kristine cherished her reflective time away from urban areas. While her senseless and violent death has left a big hole in our family, we can only hope she has left you with an equal amount of compassion and caring for each other."
Lukens's death and Wilson's injuries stunned those who knew and loved them. Compounding the tragedy, Lukens, a committed Christian was simply on a three-day visit to Israel from England.
It begs the question why? We asked David Pileggi, the rector of Christ Church in Jerusalem who knew both women, to help answer this dilemma of explaining the unexplainable. Here's his reflective answer.