Sunday, February 21, 2010

Just finished this sweet book...

I just finished reading Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust, and I am deeply moved by Immaculee Ilibagiza’s narrative of her personal account as a victim of the racial injustice she experienced. As a Tutsi living in civil-war torn Rwanda, she knew first-hand the evil that man is capable of doing. Thanks to Immaculee’s pure heart, however, we are able to see the opposite end of the spectrum; we learn of the incredible love that a person is capable of possessing, even in the face of pure evil. I loved this book for that valuable lesson. Forgiveness—it’s a difficult thing for the average human being. Immaculee, through putting her faith in God and trusting him every step of the way, found love, strength, and compassion as she was able to forgive the people who murdered her family. It is such a profound lesson in my life. How many people have trespassed on me, but I still have yet to forgive them?

Immaculee’s writing style, with the help of Steve Erwin, is beautiful and poetic. I love it because she simply tells the story. The story, like scripture, leads the reader to grow closer to God and to repent of the selfishness that plague us all. I love it, because she does not push to persuade or convince, she tells what happened, and allows the reader to make his own judgment. Immaculee is an amazing inspiration to everyone. She ends the story, by explaining why she wrote the book. “I hope my story helps,” she writes as she ends one of the best books this reader has ever read. I highly recommend it.

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