Dear St. Paul’s Family,
“I believe … in the forgiveness of sins.”
Many of us remember the heartbreaking headlines in 1994, when mass genocide claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in the East African state of Rwanda. In one hundred days, violence erupted between two distinct ethnic groups: the Tutsi, the minority population who had controlled power for centuries until 1962, and the majority Hutu, who rose to power fifty years ago and controlled the government and the military. In one hundred days, an estimated 500,000 Tutsis were murdered by Hutu Rwandans, and over ensuing months, the death toll rose to as many as 1,000,000 people.
Today, eighteen years later, Rwanda is a country at peace. The nation has stabilized, ethnic tensions diffused, and the economy has grown. Average incomes have tripled, education levels are rising, and the health care system is so good that the Gates Foundation cites them as a model. [1]
Why such a dramatic turnaround? There are a number of factors, but in the context of this Sunday’s sermon, I’d suggest a one-word reason:
Forgiveness.
In 2000, Rwandan President Paul Kagame assumed office, and was faced with the immediate challenge of rebuilding a country destroyed by brooding vengeance on the cusp of violent relapse. Imprisoning the hundreds of thousands of murderers was not an option. “If we incarcerated everyone who committed a crime we wouldn’t have a country,” he said in an interview with CNN. There were therefore two obvious courses of action: allow the victims to exact revenge unchecked, or grant general amnesty to the perpetrators. Neither of those options were viable foundations for a more stable society.
So, Kagame led the country into a third way, the more difficult and painful path of truth-telling, soul-searching, empathetic listening, common understanding, and, ultimately, forgiveness and reconciliation.
He instituted the Gacaca, an experimental venue for communities ravaged by violence to come together in mutual concern. In a public area in each village, survivors and victims’ families confronted the accused and listened as the killers confessed their sins. What ensued was a bridge built between the anguish of the victims and the remorse of the killers, in an authentic, painful exchange that ultimately led to reconciliation.
The Gacaca was part court trial and part community council, born out of the necessity of a society fractured by violence. But it can also be seen as a singularly important reason that Rwanda is flourishing today.
A few weeks ago, on June 18, 2012, President Kagame officially closed the Gacaca community court system. Its work was completed, rendering its existence no longer necessary. In an address to the Parliament, Kagame said,
For us the lessons of Gacaca go beyond justice and embrace other facets of national life. Gacaca has empowered Rwandans in ways few could have envisaged. It has illustrated the liberating value of truth. When truth came out in court, from both the perpetrators and survivors of genocide, from witnesses and the community, it set everyone free and prepared the ground for the restoration of social harmony.
It was then possible to genuinely seek and be granted forgiveness. This has been at the heart of our unity and reconciliation efforts, and we are stronger as a nation as a result. Gacaca was an important end in itself, for justice and reconciliation – and in fact, it served a purpose far greater than that. With reconciliation – and peace, calm, and sense of purpose it brings – Rwanda has been able to make progress that is evident.
The spirit of openness and readiness to break with the past and start afresh that has been embedded in everything we do will undoubtedly be one of the key legacies of Gacaca. [2]
THE POWER OF FORGIVENESS
Naturally, one can argue that the success of the Gacaca court system is culturally and contextually specific. And there are valid criticisms of this system of justice that was born more out of necessity than it was time-honored judicial philosophy. But it does illustrate the power of the third way, marked neither by vengeance or blind denial, but of soul-searching, truth-telling, and recognition of our ultimate dependence on each other to survive.
In a political season where both political parties are quick to proof text the words of Jesus to support their own campaign agendas, we would do well to remember that one of Jesus’ favorite sermon topics was also his most controversial, along with his most difficult:
Then Peter came and said to him, ‘Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?’ Jesus said to him, ‘Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times. (Matthew 18:21-22)
But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. (Luke 6:27-28)
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (Matthew 6:14-15)
Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.’ (Luke 23:34)
Forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us. (Luke 11:4)
“I BELIEVE IN THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS”
The writers of the Apostles’ Creed, when reflecting on the work of the Holy Spirit, decided to include the forgiveness of sins in the final paragraph. It is sandwiched between the formal ecclesiology of the church (“I believe in the holy, catholic church; the communion of saints”) and the hope of eschatology (“The resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting.”) But even though it seems somewhat out of place, it serves as the critical lynchpin, the hinge on which all our Christian beliefs are set. Without the forgiveness of sins, none of our other convictions about Jesus, the church, and Christian hope matter.
Most importantly, maybe the authors of the Creed included this statement because they knew how difficult it was to practice forgiveness in our daily lives, and that we would need a weekly reminder on the central role that forgiveness plays in our commitment to Christ. Though we’d like to skirt the call to forgive, and seek either the easy way of revenge or the blind way of denial, we are called to the more difficult third way of truth telling and reconciliation.
So, join us this Sunday as we venture further into this third way, and discover the power of living forgiveness as a way of life.
Grace and Peace,
Magrey
The Rev. Magrey R. deVega
St. Paul's United Methodist Church
531 W. Main St.
Cherokee, IA 51012
Ph: 712-225-3955
Email: mdevega@sp-umc.org
[1] http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/07/17/zakaria.rwanda/index.html?iref=allsearch
[2] http://www.paulkagame.com/2010/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=691%3Aspeech-by-he-paul-kagame-president-of-the-republic-of-rwanda-at-the-official-closing-of-gacaca-courts&catid=34%3Aspeeches&Itemid=56&lang=en
HYMNAL GIVEAWAY
The Worship Committee has decided to replace all of our hymnals due to our fire. All of the dedications in the old hymnals will be transferred to the new ones once they arrive. As a result, we are inviting all families who purchased hymnal dedications to take their hymnals as a gift or family keepsake at no charge. In addition, all other hymnals will be available this Sunday after church for anyone who would like to have an old hymnal. They will be available this Sunday, at the Community Center, after morning worship.
TEEN BIBLE STUDY KICK-OFF
Craig and Monica Schmidt are once again hosting the Wednesday night high school Teen Time Bible Study. They will kick off the season with food and fellowship at 6:30 Wednesday August 29, at their home, and will begin their regular study on September 5. Feel free to bring friends and others that might be interested, and they are especially interested in getting under classmen to join them. For more information, contact Craig and Monica at 221-4243.
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