The question of where God was during the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi is a deeply profound and troubling one, especially for Rwandans who are largely believers in God. Each one of them that has lived in the post-genocide period has grappled with this question most often not finding sufficient answers. This question remains on the mind of many Rwandans and different people continue to share their different perspectives.
Rev. Dr. Antoine Rutayisire, a genocide survivor, a famous pastor, and an author of many books, has written a book titled “Reconciliation is my Lifestyle: A Life’s Lesson on Forgiving and Loving Those Who Have Hated You.”
In this book, Rev. Dr. Antoine grapples with the same question and writes, “I first published ‘Faith under Fire: Testimonies of Christian Bravery’ in 1996, which was a collection of testimonies—both good and bad—of how Christians behaved during the genocide. Had God left and failed us? Where was our faith? How could such a thing happen in our country where 90% of the population claimed to be Christians? How could Christians betray and kill other Christians? So many questions! Processing all the stories I had collected brought a sense of perspective to my life. My final conclusion was that God was with us, weeping with us inside the genocide, rescuing us, and providing for us in many ways despite what we were seeing around us.”
In their recent book review of the above-mentioned book, Mr. Vital Muvunyi and Mr. Bruno Iradukunda discuss the question too, providing different insights and stories about where God must have been.
In their 14-minute clip on YouTube, which you can find here, they explore questions such as: Did God let people die on His watch? What is the responsibility of human beings in tragedies like the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi? These questions and more are discussed in the video.
