Langberg-Can-These-Bones-Live Article

Can These Bones Live?Death in the house of God—what an oxymoron? The home of Life itself, full of bones. How does such a thing happen? Centuries ago, the temple of our god was full of death. The Israelites had brought in Molech, Baal, and Asherah poles—the gods of the surrounding cultures—and bowed the knee. A second trip to Rwanda reveals that death can still rule in the home of the Life Giver when the surrounding culture of hatred is allowed to breach the walls of the churches. As I sat and listened to the stories of genocide from many groups of caregivers in Rwanda, one young man said, “I used to think of the Church as a sanctuary. Now I think of it as a cemetery.” In 1994, almost one million people were slaughtered in that beautiful country while the world did nothing. At the beginning of the genocide, thousands sought protection in the houses of worship. Thousands were massacred in those churches, and their remains have been preserved as evidence of the desecration in the house of God (see Nyamata and Ntrama). Thirteen years later they are still staggering under its effects. The trauma of that time still haunts their lives. As one young woman said, “Everyone in Rwanda believes God keeps changing. People who were talking about faith turned and were involved in the genocide. How am I to know who God is?” Another caregiver said, “When the leaders fall down it is hard to think that the followers will be able to stand up.” I love ...