Yesterday, I was overcome with sadness. And that sadness is still with me this morning. You see, three of the Triangle's brightest and most enthusiastic young people were killed in their own Chapel Hill neighborhood in a quick and senseless act of violence.
Deah, Yusor, and Razan were Habitat Wake volunteers. We have thousands of volunteers, but their efforts stood out to me and I feel so incredibly honored to have met them. I think it is safe to say
that without the leadership of Deah's brother, Farris, there would not be an Interfaith Build program at Habitat Wake. And we would be much less of an organization because of it. Farris' enthusiasm for demonstrating interfaith understanding attracted a large contingent of Muslims to the work of the Christian ministry of Habitat. What an incredibly humble act of service. Because of Farris--his brother Deah, his sister-in-law Yusor, and her sister Razan--engaged their young Muslim friends in our work to showcase their dual desires to serve others and to promote understanding and love over the persistent pressures of hate and misunderstanding that swirl around us and seem so powerful these days.
It is truly a beautiful light in the world when people with strong convictions to the truth of their own faith intentionally come together with others of different faith traditions and backgrounds to
proclaim that love is triumphant here and now and that judgement and exclusion are not burdens that God places on any of us. It pleases me the most when a Habitat work site can be used to demonstrate that.
Three of our brightest, young lights were darkened in a moment on Monday evening in Chapel Hill, but my sincere prayer and hope is that the other little lights of hope that we see in our volunteers everyday at Habitat will become much brighter and illuminating and lift the families of Deah, Yusor, and Razan in this time of their unfathomable grief and loss. Your children truly had an understanding and commitment beyond their years! We are blessed beyond measure to have been touched by them.
Love wins. Yes it does.
. 
