Uganda: Ready to Forgive

Even in the face of extreme violence and fear, the Christian concept of grace can offer hope: that's the message of this powerful look at the plight of the Acholi people in Northern Uganda, Africa, hosted by Rwandan survivor and author Immaculée Ilibagiza (Left to Tell). For the past 20 years, the Acholi have been caught in the crossfire of civil war between government forces and rebel troops, with villagers displaced into rundown camps, or worse—raped, tortured, and murdered—while children are abducted and forced to join paramilitary groups. Under these horrible conditions, the concepts of forgiveness and grace may seem alien, but members of the local Lutheran church are applying these Christian precepts to the realities of their daily existence. Even when considering the brutality their own countrymen have inflicted upon one another, the faithful invoke Jesus' words on the cross—”forgive them Father for they know not what they do”—while Ilibagiza herself notes that in the midst of her own torture she refused to believe that her tormentors truly understood the magnitude of their actions. For those of us who struggle with forgiveness when someone cuts us off in traffic, it's almost unimaginable to picture forgiving someone who has murdered our parents and left us homeless. Exhibiting true grace, these extraordinary individuals have chosen not to fight fire with fire, but with love. Highly recommended. Aud: P. (C. Block)