Forgiveness Makes You Free

Before his passing in 2020, I had the honor of meeting a man named Father Ubald Rugirangoga. A Rwandan priest who carried a message of love and unity so passionately, it felt wrong not to immerse yourself in his presence.

Over 80 family members of Fr. Ubald perished in the 1994 genocide in Rwanda - one of the bloodiest in recent history. For anyone else, this would be the perfect excuse for revenge and violence. But not Ubald.

At seven years old, his father was murdered, later his mother and countless other friends and family members. After witnessing so much death and destruction, Ubald returned to Rwanda, not to seek vengeance, but to restore unity and heal all affected in the genocide: even those who lead the massacres.

One of the most admirable traits of Fr. Ubald is that he lives what he preaches. Upon his return to Rwanda, he immediately began to encourage the idea of forgiveness. And to demonstrate its strength, he successfully forgave the man who butchered his mother. Then went on to fund the education of both his children; given that their mother had also died, and their father was in prison for war crimes. And he so with a sense of peace so tangible and authentic that would grab the soul of whoever was lucky enough to cross his path.

By forgiving an act thought to be unforgivable, Fr. Ubald's leadership became a flare of hope in an environment so mutilated by death of the worst kind. For anyone who has been fortunate enough to understand his story, there is nothing this world can take, kill, or torture that's source doesn't deserve forgiveness. For holding the intense emotion that makes a home in resentment, is more damaging than the cause itself.

Extreme horror, requires extreme forgiveness. - Father Ubald Rugirangoga

Father Ubald's TedTalk

Father Ubald's Book: Forgiveness Makes You Free