Over the last week or so, I’ve been absorbed in Catherine Claire Larson’s new book, As We Forgive: Stories of Reconciliation from Rwanda. If you’re interested in a deeper understanding of what happened in Rwanda in 1994, or a deeper understanding of the miraculous process of reconciliation, I commend this great book to you.
Last month marked the 15th anniversary of the horrific Rwanda genocide, and the wounds are still apparent in the country. However, despite physical and emotional scars, something dramatic is happening among the Rwandan people. Survivors are forgiving those who killed their families. Perpetrators are truly repenting and doing practical acts of reconciliation to demonstrate their remorse, like building homes for those whose families they killed. God is moving.
In her gripping book, Larson shares seven stories about the genocide, its aftermath, and the spirit of reconciliation that is happening in a place that was once defined by inhumanity and death. What’s taking place in Rwanda today is instructive for all people, especially those of us who confess Christ. As Larson observes in my interview with her, now at UrbanFaith.com, “If forgiveness can happen in that country after such unthinkable crimes, surely it can also happen in the comparatively smaller rifts we face. In their hope, we can find hope.”
I highly recommend that you check out Catherine Larson’s compelling and well-written book, as well as the award-winning film that inspired it. Also, once again, don’t forget to read, link to, and pass along the UrbanFaith interview with Larson.
Reconciliation Blog 
[…] Reconciliation Blog is recommending a new book entitled “As We Forgive” by Catherine Claire Larson. She describes amazing scenes of reconciliation. Survivors are genuinely forgiving the killers and the killers are repenting too. Many are returning to show their remorse by building houses for the families they assaulted. What an amazing example for all of us who claim Christ and believe that He helps us bridge all barriers of race and hate. I haven’t read the book yet, but was struck by this quote: If forgiveness can happen in that country after such unthinkable crimes, surely it can also happen in the comparatively smaller rifts we face. In their hope, we can find hope. […]
I will share this book as an idea for our women’s book club…looks VERY interesting!!
The film is amazing. Hard to watch, yet challenges the viewer to consider if they really believe the power of the gospel.
I watched it in conjunction with an article in Sojourners that is written by Father Emmanuelle Katongole (spelling?). As someone who is the child of Hutu and Tutsi parents, his voice struck me as prophetic.
His critique of how missions work in Rwanda actually added fuel to the fire of what ended up being a genocide was an amazing and painful challenge to consider the role of the church outside our culture.
[…] of Reconciliation from Rwanda here and take a look at The Challenge for Africa at Ben’s […]
Ed, Haven’t been around of late and sorry I’m coming to this posting late. I’ll be travelling to Rwanda on June 22 with 3 other Christian psychologists interested in promoting healing and more and training for church leaders. It is an immersion experience so that we can learn what things work best in this culture. I’ve read a ton on Rwanda before, during and after the genocide but had missed this one. Thanks again for pointing it out.
Phil
Thanks, Phil. It’s great to hear from you. I wish you the best on your upcoming travels.
I actually saw the film As we Forgive in the Hillywood Film Festival in Rwanda. I liked the stories the filmmaker portrayed, and i’ve always found astonishing the fact that stories like that do exist and are real in some villages in Rwanda, but I also think reconciliation is not as easy or widespread in Rwanda as many Western movies and books make us think.
Check out my small post with a slideshow and let me know what you think: http://blogs.journalism.cuny.edu/interactive2010/2009/10/23/rwanda-the-land-of-a-million-smiles-where-there-are-none/
A. Toral
If I’m told to mention things which have ever very badly hurt my heart, I would firstly list the 1994 Rwandan Genocide! Rwanda is a country which is absolutely in the bottom of my Rwandan Ge
If I’m told to mention things which have ever very badly hurt my heart, I would firstly list the 1994 Rwandan Genocide! Rwanda is a country which is absolutely in the bottom of my heart. I saw the movie being aired by one of our tv.Channels here in Tanzania, I sometimes struggle to asure my colleagues that reconcililation in Rwanda is truly taking place within Rwandans, I really see the THE BLOOD OF JESUS the word of reconciliation working after the most appaling, brutal and horrific killings which are still dififcult to penetrate into my mind, but it’s an extremely prerequisite to orchestrate my faith. I love Rwanda very much I wish I could come there to learn more on these terms:FORGIVENESS and RECONCILIATION. I love Rwanda. Fatma Ndangiza, we are together.
I do agree with many of the comments regarding this book, but feel compelled to add that it provides a very one-sided view on reconciliation (as does the movie, where you can see one woman in particular actively avoiding the camera, and yet they still roll the film). This is not a “deeper” view on the Rwandan genocide, although it is a very important view. Many many Hutu have also suffered terribly, some of them at the hands of the RPF…silencing them (as this book indirectly participates in doing, by portraying only one kind of amazing story of forgiveness — Hutu perpetrators and Tutsi victims) will surely not lead to longer term reconciliation.