The older I get the more it seems I don’t believe in coincidences or “random” acts anymore.   Remember the “Random acts of kindness” movement a few years back?  I thought it was a great concept to randomly share love and kindness just because it was the good and right thing to do.  Each random act has a tumbling affect by triggering a series of events unknown to the person who initiated the first act.  Some acts lead to great change, while other acts or events can lead to bad things.  However, when you live a life of purpose perhaps there is no such thing as “random”.

I have to confess that my question of “random” acts not really being random was triggering by the recent death of a colleague.  Leonore Draper was a bright, passionate, professional person who was clearly committed to ending violence in the city she loved, Chicago.  I met her years ago while I was running a mentoring program for Black and Latino youth in Rogers Park.  She was immediately impressive to everyone because she was intelligent, organized and eager to heal violence.  Last week she was killed in an apparent drive-by shooting while getting out of her car.  She had just left an anti-violence fundraiser.

While I was still mentally processing how random her death seemed to be on the surface; I could not help but think about the role of purpose.

What is the purpose of Leonore Draper’s death?  It’s the type of question that people of faith ask themselves all the time.  We ask this question about purpose because our faith traditions often teach that “all life has purpose” or that “God has a purpose and plan for us”.   In my mind, this means that so called “random” acts aren’t so random at all.  I believe that if we allow random acts to travel to their logical conclusion, they will always lead to changes that lead to greater changes, and so on.   So can one tragic, accidental death prevent another tragic accidental death?  Can one death create safer neighborhoods or less fear?

As a Christian minister I am searching right now.  I ask myself whether it’s too extreme to compare the eventual results of Leonore Draper’s death to the results from Jesus Christ’s death on the cross.  I believe Christ’s death was far from accidental or random and that his death was the price to usher in God’s spirit – the same spirit that would make way for human unity and salvation. Christians believe Christ’s death was a tragedy, but it was also a gift.

I’ll admit: I’m biased about all this.  I am eager for the seemingly random death of Leonore Draper to not be so random, but to instead hold true purpose.  Just like with those random acts of kindness I want Leonore Draper’s death to have power, to have meaning and bring good changes.   While still difficult to accept, the day after learning about her death I began imagining other people in Chicago, people just like me suddenly… waking up.

Something clicked in me after Leonore’s death.   Someone I personally knew was “randomly” killed yet I felt motivated, inspired and creative. I suddenly had clarity of purpose, and confidence.   While still sad and a bit shocked I know Leonore’s life was not lived in vain…neither was her death.  There has been a spiritual shift.  Even if the shift is only in me, I still consider it profound.  I believe we are to all learn from the Leonore Drapers of the world.  They are the muses, inspirations and catalysts necessary for the next revolution, the next blessing and the next spiritual shift.  Leonore will be deeply missed but I am so very thankful she was never “random”.

Keith Baltimore is University Minister with the Office of Religious Diversity’s DePaul Christian Ministries. Feel free to comment on his piece at the bottom of this page.

Photo from of the family of Leonore Draper featured in the Chicago Tribune on April 26, 2014.