They Have Much to Teach Us
In 2003, while starting my training in restorative justice mediation, there was a man from South Africa in my class. He told us about the Truth and Reconciliation work that his country was doing. He did not gloss it over. He said that truth, forgiveness and reconciliation comes hard, with a price sometimes, and that there are many who do not see the value in forgiveness; they want revenge and don't want to see their enemies forgiven.
This has long been the human condition, hasn't it? Jonah did not want to see God extend his Grace and Mercy to the people of Ninevah; he wanted to see those people punished. We humans have a much harder time with forgiveness then we think. While we want forgiveness and mercy for ourselves, we sometimes secretly hope that somehow it will be missed by our enemies.
I was talking to my husband about this while camping this past week. We talked about how some believe that there are "some sins" that are just unforgivable. I do not believe this. Having seen the power of forgiveness in my own life, I know and trust that God can and will forgive anyone of anything. After we talked, I went for a walk, and thought, "my sin was the death blow that killed His Son". Pharisees and Romans did not murder our Lord and Savior - my sin, your sin, our sin did. And if God can forgive me and you for killing His Son, He can and will forgive anyone anything.
My husband and I did a lot of talking about forgiveness while sitting around the camp fire on our vacation. I'd just finished reading "My Father, Maker of the Trees" by Eric Irivusumugabe. I've also read "Left to Tell" by Immacule'e Ilibagiza and a few years ago, read "The Bishop of Rwanda" by John Rucyahana. These courageous people, and the Rwandan people have much to teach us here in the Western church about forgiveness and reconciliation. We, who hold grudges over arguments about church music, and whether to replace the seating with chairs or pews, have much to learn indeed.
I am not belittling the conflicts that we in the church so often find ourselves in; I am only saying "really, THIS is what we are fighting about?" THIS is what divides us, these things that are not life and death?
If the things that are life and death can be healed, restored, transformed, and reconciled like God has been doing in Rwanda, then what are we in the Western church doing arguing, splitting, and dividing over things that do not even come close to life and death, other than the death we are bringing to our witness to the world?
We indeed have much to learn from the Church in Rwanda. I encourage you to read Eric's or Immacule'e's story, and to pray for Rwanda, that God will raise this country up to be a light that reflects His glory shown in forgiveness, restoration and transformation.
This has long been the human condition, hasn't it? Jonah did not want to see God extend his Grace and Mercy to the people of Ninevah; he wanted to see those people punished. We humans have a much harder time with forgiveness then we think. While we want forgiveness and mercy for ourselves, we sometimes secretly hope that somehow it will be missed by our enemies.
I was talking to my husband about this while camping this past week. We talked about how some believe that there are "some sins" that are just unforgivable. I do not believe this. Having seen the power of forgiveness in my own life, I know and trust that God can and will forgive anyone of anything. After we talked, I went for a walk, and thought, "my sin was the death blow that killed His Son". Pharisees and Romans did not murder our Lord and Savior - my sin, your sin, our sin did. And if God can forgive me and you for killing His Son, He can and will forgive anyone anything.
My husband and I did a lot of talking about forgiveness while sitting around the camp fire on our vacation. I'd just finished reading "My Father, Maker of the Trees" by Eric Irivusumugabe. I've also read "Left to Tell" by Immacule'e Ilibagiza and a few years ago, read "The Bishop of Rwanda" by John Rucyahana. These courageous people, and the Rwandan people have much to teach us here in the Western church about forgiveness and reconciliation. We, who hold grudges over arguments about church music, and whether to replace the seating with chairs or pews, have much to learn indeed.
I am not belittling the conflicts that we in the church so often find ourselves in; I am only saying "really, THIS is what we are fighting about?" THIS is what divides us, these things that are not life and death?
If the things that are life and death can be healed, restored, transformed, and reconciled like God has been doing in Rwanda, then what are we in the Western church doing arguing, splitting, and dividing over things that do not even come close to life and death, other than the death we are bringing to our witness to the world?
We indeed have much to learn from the Church in Rwanda. I encourage you to read Eric's or Immacule'e's story, and to pray for Rwanda, that God will raise this country up to be a light that reflects His glory shown in forgiveness, restoration and transformation.
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