AMERICA BE CAREFUL

I had the incredible experience of hearing the inspiring story of 4 Rwandan national leaders who lived through the genocide in their nation in the early 1990’s. One million people lost their lives in a three month period. Most that died had their heads hacked off with machetes. Women were gang raped and homes were burned to the ground. They could not bury that many bodies so corpses were stacked sometimes 20 feet high. Dogs consumed the human flesh. Eventually, the killing stopped, but human devices could not bring a peace. The women talked about a life giving process of repentance, forgiveness and justice.

A few years back I heard the First Lady of Rwanda give a sober analysis of the three step spiral that led to this genocide. It is instructive for our situation in American culture.

1. The people went from referring to themselves as Rwandans to Hutu and Tutsis. The two big tribes.

2. Each group adopted a Divide and Conquer Mentality… demonizing the other side.

3. Each side allowed hate to spew without checking it in their own camp and eventually it took some people over the edge and they did the unthinkable. Ordinary young men took the heads off of their favorite next door neighbor lady whose house they loved playing at. Imagine this stark reality.

Then she asked this Question: In your country could you be perpetuating genocide… killing not with machetes but with words and the unthinkable happen one day? Wow… what a apropos question. I was stabbed to the core of my heart.

Mail bombs, shootings, hate speech, intimidation, lack of civility, bullying and violence is never, never acceptable.

The First Lady said, “We thought of ourselves as a Christian nation and did not think this could ever happen to us.” Do we think the same thing?

The four women leaders shared the good news of what God has done in their lives and nation. They said after the genocide the nation went through a national process of Repentance and Reconciliation and a spiritual awakening occurred that brought transformation and much unity in the country. Their economy is thriving. Crime is low. Women serve in 60% plus of the seats in Government. Corruption in Government is low.

Maybe we all can choose to be part of the solution rather than be part of the problem. God help us not to have to go through our own genocide. We need a revolution of civility and our own spiritual awakening. Without being right with God we will never be right with each other. Thank you to these courageous leaders of Rwanda for being servant faith leaders and honoring God above all else.

Dr. Michael Sprague is the Louisiana State Chaplain with the Capitol Commission and President of Grace Adventures. Michael does life with his wonderful wife Donna and resides in Mandeville, LA. His motto is “Bet the Farm on God.” You can find more information about Michael here.

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash