Denise and I had an amazing evening last night. We met with John Baptiste and a group of his staff. Each of the five regions of kigali was present, and all of them had lost family in the genocide. They were kind and brave enough to tell us their stories, each one a tragedy well beyond what we are used to or even can imagine. They also told us how they struggled to forgive the killers, and to a greater or lesser extent were able to.
Why did they forgive? They did it not because they were Christians, or because it was the right thing to do, or the political requirement that it be done. they did it for themselves, to free themselves of the hatred and the fear and the despair that was consuming them, so that they could rejoin humanity. They used a metaphor that i found helpful. After the genocide their hearts will filled with negativity; hate, fear, distrust, despair, so filled that nothing positive could enter. They walled themselves off to anything but animal survival. The forgiveness process opened up their hearts.
They do not require forgiveness. Indeed they say that forgiveness is not a possibility for everyone, at least not right away. But they do make real a human possibility, going beyond forgiveness per se to freedom from the negative emotions.
I imagine this is hard to believe without seeing the people.
In any event, more to follow.
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I am speechless and deeply moved. The decision to choose the positive human versus living in the negative emotions. That seems to be the hardest task of all. I can't imagine that kind of inner struggle. I can't imagine that kind of release. I don't think of myself as capable of it so I am left in awe and deep respect. You go as a teacher and yet you are the student. What a privilege.
ReplyDeleteI am impressed by the willingness of these people who don't really know you to share their stories and speak so frankly about their hearts. An amazing set of gifts.
ReplyDeleteSince you began traveling I have been thinking a great deal of the Shoah and "our people's" genocide a generation ago. I wonder how your Jewish identity and that part of your history shapes any of your experience in Rwanda.