Fulfillment of The Sermon on the Mount Revealed within Left to Tell
The Rwandan Holocaust in 1994 was a hideous manifestation of humans’ cruelty towards each other. The extremist Hutus started this genocide in hopes of exterminating the Tutsis in Rwanda. As a result of this savagery, many Tutsis in Rwanda fled to other countries, lived in hiding until the genocide was over, and were massacred. In Immaculee Ilibagiza’s memoir of Left to Tell, Immaculee, as a survivor of the Rwandan Holocaust, gives a detailed account of her experience in the genocide. Although the memoir primarily depicts a mournful tragedy of the Tutsis, it also provides a heartening demonstration of Immaculee living the ethical message of The Sermon on the Mount. Immaculee …show more content…
Jesus says, “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Mt. 5:44). Jesus encourages his followers to portray God’s goodness to everyone, including enemies. In the early days of her hiding in the bathroom, Immaculee has an extremely difficult time, trying to forgive the Hutu killers who cause chaos and ruthless genocide in Rwanda. Although Immaculee describes the Hutu killers as cruel, vicious, and barbaric creatures, she understands that the killers are also God’s sons and daughters, who deserve God’s love and forgiveness. From that moment of realization, she continually prays for the killers, for their sins to be forgiven so that God would lead them to repent their sins. She says, “for the first time, I pitied the killers. I asked God to forgive their sins and turn their souls toward His beautiful light” (94). Immaculee takes a crucial step in forgiving her enemies, the Hutu killers, who ruthlessly murdered her beloved family members, friends, and neighbours. She realizes that she is not in a position to judge the killers, as they are also the children of God. Perceiving that forgiveness is the only possible way to end the cycle of hatred, she turns to God so that his love and mercy can save and shelter her from anger towards the killers. Also, Immaculee lucidly demonstrates her extraordinary forgiveness when she visits a prison after the genocide, to meet the Hutu killer who murdered …show more content…
Immaculee demonstrates this message through treasuring the Kingdom of Heaven with the release of worries, loving her enemies, and praying to God with a complete trust in His
The Rwandan Holocaust in 1994 was a hideous manifestation of humans’ cruelty towards each other. The extremist Hutus started this genocide in hopes of exterminating the Tutsis in Rwanda. As a result of this savagery, many Tutsis in Rwanda fled to other countries, lived in hiding until the genocide was over, and were massacred. In Immaculee Ilibagiza’s memoir of Left to Tell, Immaculee, as a survivor of the Rwandan Holocaust, gives a detailed account of her experience in the genocide. Although the memoir primarily depicts a mournful tragedy of the Tutsis, it also provides a heartening demonstration of Immaculee living the ethical message of The Sermon on the Mount. Immaculee …show more content…
Jesus says, “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Mt. 5:44). Jesus encourages his followers to portray God’s goodness to everyone, including enemies. In the early days of her hiding in the bathroom, Immaculee has an extremely difficult time, trying to forgive the Hutu killers who cause chaos and ruthless genocide in Rwanda. Although Immaculee describes the Hutu killers as cruel, vicious, and barbaric creatures, she understands that the killers are also God’s sons and daughters, who deserve God’s love and forgiveness. From that moment of realization, she continually prays for the killers, for their sins to be forgiven so that God would lead them to repent their sins. She says, “for the first time, I pitied the killers. I asked God to forgive their sins and turn their souls toward His beautiful light” (94). Immaculee takes a crucial step in forgiving her enemies, the Hutu killers, who ruthlessly murdered her beloved family members, friends, and neighbours. She realizes that she is not in a position to judge the killers, as they are also the children of God. Perceiving that forgiveness is the only possible way to end the cycle of hatred, she turns to God so that his love and mercy can save and shelter her from anger towards the killers. Also, Immaculee lucidly demonstrates her extraordinary forgiveness when she visits a prison after the genocide, to meet the Hutu killer who murdered …show more content…
Immaculee demonstrates this message through treasuring the Kingdom of Heaven with the release of worries, loving her enemies, and praying to God with a complete trust in His