A Day of Remembrance

Today is an eerie day in Rwanda. The usually crowded and bustling streets are all but empty, stores and restaurants are closed, and there is a certain sadness truly detectable in people’s eyes. Today marks the beginning of the 16th Commemoration of the Rwanda genocide. Sixteen years ago today started one of the most horrific, unthinkable tragedies ever known to man. And even though my 11-year old self at the time had no clue what was going on in the world that day, I am feeling the weight of it today as I am in the midst of the Rwandan people that suffered through it.
The “week of mourning” has begun, where Rwandans observe and remember approximately one million people who died in the one hundred day genocide. Rwanda is such a small country that literally every person has been affected somehow. One of my friends here who is a journalist told me that the Rwandan people who lived through the genocide are like the walking dead this week. One of my students told me this is a tragic time for all Rwandans who have a human heart. The memory, the loss, the tragedy is too much to bear. I can’t even imagine the pain that comes with this day, but I can see it in their eyes. As I walked up to a memorial ceremony today with hundreds of people gathered around a graveyard, I couldn’t help but wonder the story behind each person there. I know that many of them lost family members, many were victims themselves, and many may have even participated in the killings. But they all seemed to have that same look in their eyes.
One of the hardest parts about living in Rwanda is being able to find the right emotions. It is a challenge to find the balance between being so overwhelmed with the pain and burdens of the people that you literally feel like you are taking on the weight of the world or becoming numb as a coping mechanism to deal with the hundreds of sad stories that you encounter. There are days when I am at one extreme or the other, although I have come to realize that somewhere in between is probably the right spot. However, today I cannot quite put my finger on the emotion I should be feeling. I only pray that it is enough to show respect for the people that died and for the people who are haunted by their memories and their losses.
I ask you, wherever you are today, to take a minute and remember what happened in Rwanda 16 years ago. Whether you know the historical facts or not, say a prayer for the families and individuals who are still suffering on this day. We have a tendency in the US to dismiss the tragedies that have happened in third world countries ….or possibly contemplate the sadness of the situation but not really take to heart the dire truth of it. But trust me….these people are just like you and me. Pain is a universal language. As one of my Rwandan friends just reminded me, "the opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference." Please give them even a moment of remembrance.