Forgiveness en masse

Yesterday's L.A. Times carried a story of two men finding the means to forgive in the wake of genocide. They are an American Armenian and a Rwandan and both are minister's trying to help their people find the means to forgive. The article tells part of the Rwandan's story of losing 152 relatives, including his mother in the 1994 tragedy that swept through his central African nation,

For Kayumba, the transformative moment came unexpectedly. Two months after the genocide had ended, he drove from Kigali to his family's village to face his mother's killer. Kayumba learned his identity through other villagers. The two men had grown up together. When he saw the man walking along a road, Kayumba said, his anger surged and he tried to run the man over.

The young man dived into a ditch, unharmed. As Kayumba jumped out of the car and made for the trembling man, he said, a voice filled his head.

"Don't take revenge," said the voice he identifies as the Holy Spirit. "Revenge is mine."

Kayumba said he looked into the eyes of his mother's killer. The man did not ask for forgiveness, but Kayumba did — for trying to kill the man. Kayumba offered absolution as well. His mother's murderer could go. Kayumba had forgiven him.

"The anger, frustration and trauma was totally gone," Kayumba said. "Instead, I immediately felt relief, peace and love for this person. That's why I say forgiveness is for us, our own benefit. Hatred and anger can kill you."

The full text of the article is online here: Preaching the power of forgiveness many times over