Comments on: Rwandan Genocide: Where Was God?

By: Caitlin

Caitlin — Wed, 20 May 2009 05:42:59 +0000

@Eric – You are very right in somethings. Such as the idea of the big bang theory. If it did happen, someone had to start it. From what I’ve studied, you would be classified as a Deist, not an atheist. However, I won’t be arguing with you on scientific theories, or even the religious ones.

I know very well how if feels to be hurt and frustrated to see and feel extreme injustices in the world and wonder how anyone who loves any one can stand by a let it happen. In a sense which I’d rather not go into, I have been that 4 year old…I just want you to know, that during the most defenseless time in my life, when horrible things happened, it was not my God who did it…and yes, anyone of us who sees or experiences terrible injustices has to wonder even though He didn’t cause it, why didn’t He stop it? For all of the other circumstances in the world, I cannot say. I do not know. For my own, I learned later in life, that God knew that I could survive my disaster and heal with what I had been provided in my life, but a younger, very close friend, who came through the same experiences had no one to catch her, and needed someone who knew the absolute love and healing power of God to carry her through. I was blessed to be that one. And also, during my most vulnerable moment, I can look back and see that God held me closest then. While He allowed me to be shaken, chipped, injured, He did not allow me to be crushed, and He protected me, like a mother bear over her cub, until I could spiritually walk again.

I have no doubt that God could, in an instant, halt my suffering, halt Lilin and Alok’s suffering… but where would we be as humanity then? We are selfish enough, without being coddled. If no one was ever injured or wronged, no one would ever find compassion for another person. We live as relational beings, and usually if we cannot relate to something, such as pain someone else might be suffering, (in my experience), we simply ignore it, for lack of a better idea to handle it. We are comfortable beings…even those of us living in poverty. There have been articles on people who are unwilling to reach out and take a step towards bettering their lives, because they have grown comfortable with what they know.

Comfort, rather than be a blessing, at times, can be man’s worst enemy. A comfortable person has never changed the world… for good or bad.

That’s all the pertinent stuff I have to say about it. Agree or don’t, it doesn’t bother me.

I only want to conclude with this: Eric, originally, all I was going to say in response was, “Man, that’s gotta suck.” And I imagine it might, or perhaps you have grown comfortable with a god who doesn’t care. I’m sorry. All I know is that, believe it or not, my Jesus still loves you as much as He does me: more than there are drops of water in all of the seas…even when I misbehave.

I also want to apologize in advanced for anyone who decides to jump down your throat for voicing your thoughts. People shouldn’t be afraid to share what is on their minds…especially among Christians.

By: Eric

Eric — Wed, 20 May 2009 01:50:20 +0000

The answer is simple, “there is no God” at least your kind of God. Christians, Muslims and Jewish preach about a one God, who is compassionate and caring and engaged in our lives. Let ask you all, what criteria does God uses to determine who dies and who lives? Why would God subject a 4 year old under extreme pain in one continent while the other is warmed and fed and protected? The answer, the way organized religions portay God today is simply true. You all probably thinking that I am an etheist, well I m not. I believe in god, reason being that even though i believe in big bang theory and many scientific researches, someone or some force created the universe. I interpret that as god, However I don’t consider this god to be involved or even caring about our day to day lives as we humans believe.

By: Jill Foley

Jill Foley — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 19:39:20 +0000

It’s so easy NOT to think of things happening so far away from us.

Thank you for a great introduction to this topic this week.

By: Vicki Small

Vicki Small — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 14:03:34 +0000

@Kees Boer - Kees, until we were in DR, in October, I had feared that one of my girls might be sexually abused by her father and, perhaps, her older brothers. The project worker I talked with did not know of any such occurrence, however, although there was other abuse in the home.

By: Kees Boer

Kees Boer — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 06:41:40 +0000

I certainly don’t have the answers to why this happens. I believe from my understanding in the Scriptures that the children are going to heaven, that died that young. Forgiveness is vital also to not let it continue. With foregiveness, the geonicide would probably never had happened. Some were not forgiving towards others. It’s a difficult topic. I was confronted with it about a month ago, when I found out that one of my Compassion children had been sexually abused by her stepfather. I had to forgive him and it was difficult, because the little girl is very very dear to me. Now, I hope that somehow she will be able to use it in the future to help other children.

Kees

By: Amy Wallace

Amy Wallace — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 23:05:28 +0000

I didn’t even know Rwanda existed at the time of the Genocide (well, me being 5 at the time might have something to do with that, but I’m sure if I was an adult at the time, I would have been just as ignorant).

I recently started sponsoring a boy from Rwanda, and he was born in 1996. If he was born 2 years earlier…well, I shudder to think of the possibilities.

I suggest you all read Shake Hands with the Devil, by my fellow Canadian, Romeo Dallaire. He was in charge of the UN mission to Rwanda during most of the genocide, and this book is his account of those terrible days.

By: Jenny

Jenny — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 22:04:53 +0000

Wow, this is intense, especially the part that said “suspects with nonleadership roles in the planning and commission of atrocities are tried in their communities”…Can you even imagine if your neighbor, who killed your family, sat on trial right down the street? To forgive something like that is entering deep waters – only Christ can inspire that kind of forgiveness.

By: Geri

Geri — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 20:45:59 +0000

If anyone is interested in reading more about the Rwandan Genocide, then there is an excellent book called “Left to Tell” by Immaculee Ilibagiza. She survived the Rwanda genocide in 1994 along with seven other women by hidding in the cramped bathroom of a local pastor’s house for 91 days!
She writes a lot about the power of prayers and the importance of forgiveness.
geri

By: Jane Gillis

Jane Gillis — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 17:49:36 +0000

Thanks Chris, I too must admit that I thought very little of the genocide in Rwanda until I went there with Compassion in May of 2001. I believe that God is doing a great work in that country because He is mending the broken hearted and comforting those who were so visciously abused. And Compassion had been at the forefront through the years. It is true that those who are forgiven much will be a strong force for justice and mercy toward others.

By: Barbara M.

Barbara M. — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 15:32:26 +0000

Chris, Thank you for this post. I have been sponsoring a young boy in Rwanda for the past ten years. Rwanda and its people hold a special place in my heart. I would encourage the viewing of the film Beyond The Gates, filmed entirely in Rwanda. It is a powerful film which deals with the genocide and asks the same question….”Where was God in all of this? I highly recommend it. Thank you again Chris for this post.