Rwandan Emmanuel Kadege would’ve had every reason to turn his back on faith.
Just weeks after he was baptized, according to Charisma Magazine’s J. Lee Grady, Kadege’s village –made up of folks from the country’s minority Tutsi tribe — was attacked by Hutus during the country’s horrific 1994 genocide. His assailants shot him, cut his legs to ribbons and forced him to watch as they raped his sister. The attackers let Kadege and his family live — but they destroyed everything they owned, almost everything they were.
Now, 15 years later, the scars on his legs are still visible. But Kadege, now a pastor, is preaching a message of forgiveness to Hutus and Tutsis alike. He and his sister have even forgiven the men –now imprisoned — who raped her: In fact, Kadege tells Grady, his sister has even visited them.
“I am preaching reconciliation, and that is really touching the hearts of people,” Kadege said.
Forgiveness is hard enough when we have nothing too serious to forgive. It takes a special man indeed to forgive such atrocities. But the fact Kadege is helping his country forgive as well — well, an O.J. Award doesn’t seem to quite cover it.
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