This entry was submitted by someone in Rwanda afraid to provide his name due to safety concerns. It was relayed via Lydie Ujeneza.
On February 22, 2020 I was at Rusororo in Kigali, Rwanda accompanying you to the last rest of your body. I shed tears.
During those moments, I was thinking about you and your message of love. My tears were not tears of sadness. They were tears of happiness. Finally, I could see someone who preached what he was convinced of and lived what he believed until, with the help of divine intervention, he accepted to take his Cross and die for the message of the Master. I could see the word “integrity” on display with heart, mind, mouth and style of living in harmony preaching the same message of love, peace and reconciliation with no fear of persecution. I understood the meaning of both life and death.
As I shed tears, I could hear Mark Twain’s words becoming real. He once said: “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” I could see that you knew your mission. You taught me that life is only worth living if one is courageous enough to live his mission within the parameters set by the Master. You also taught me that death doesn’t kill anyone. As you sang it in your song “Iteme” meaning “Bridge”, “Gupfa nta muntu byica bitubera irembo rigana mu ijuru, n’uko tukazuka” meaning “Death doesn’t kill anyone, it is rather a door to heaven, and then we rise from the dead”.
This mourning period has not been easy for me. Sometimes I couldn’t concentrate at work. I received calls and messages from friends who just wanted somebody to lean on and cry. I didn’t know I loved you that much but I realized that your message had taken roots in my life. I could see the glory living of someone who truly followed Master Jesus Christ. Now I understand why they killed you. The light you got from following in the footsteps of your Master had become too much to handle. Their work of darkness had been thoroughly exposed. Their house made of hatred, hypocrisy, extremism, ethnic supremacism and brutal violence was falling apart. They panicked and thought killing your body would end their uncontrollable fall. They never understood why you were loved so much. They knew the Machiavelli’s theory by heart. That the Prince cannot control love from the people but he can only control their fear to rule them.
You presented a challenge they could not handle. You were not afraid and you were capable of loving people unconditionally. With no Katyusha or 180 mm mortar or missile you had conquered our hearts. You were loved so much, and that, they could not get it. Even with their money they were unable to buy people’s love. They could see that after prison, people still loved you and that the people did not believe an inch of what you had been accused of. The Prince was jealous. He could not be loved. He was scared and insecure; so he decided to finish you physically and destroy your name. That is how he lost the fight completely. For your body was just a jar of clay but you were inhabited by divine power. A treasure he could not take from you. You instead moved with it in another life. Now you are untouchable. Even in the death of your body, your message is still ringing in our hearts.
Whenever we feel down, we turn back to your songs and talks to be refreshed. Your message is more alive now. Your light has multiplied million times now. Their works of darkness are more exposed than ever. The fall of the evil is imminent. The lost sheep are coming back to the sheepfold.
Thank you for giving us the message from the Master and for understanding that it was more important than you, the messenger. Thank you for accepting to take your cross and showing us how it is done. You walked in the footsteps of your Master, accepted to die like him and chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. Thank you for accepting to be purified. With your highest value, the Master found you worthy of going through the hottest refinery for your purification. Yemeye kuguhombya aho kuguhomba meaning “he allowed you to lose instead of losing you, your own words”. You came back with us shining. Like a sheep being taken to the slaughter you accepted death. Just like your Master.
We humans with mere flesh and blood cannot understand how someone with a black belt in Karate was arrested by a mere peasant as we were told. You reminded me the words of Jesus Christ: “Put your sword back in its place, for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?” Indeed, you could have fought or used other violent ways but that is not how you were instructed by the Master. I can hear you praying for the killers of your body on the day of your departure: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing”.
We will try to follow in your footsteps following the Master. Although there are things we don’t grasp in your message, we will try. Things like unconditional love [“singashake gukundwa, aho gukunda meaning Let me not seek to be loved, but to love instead”], extreme generosity [“iyo ntanze niho numva ndonse nkagira amahoro meaning whenever I give is when I receive more and that gives me peace”], living a selfless life [“Iyo niyibagiwe gatoya nibuka byinshi byawe bikampa kubaho meaning when I forget myself a bit, I remember a lot about you and that gives me real life”] and so much more.
“Kigali, Kigali you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”
With a bow I say, as we do in a dojo, OUS! Live in peace brother. You have been faithful with few things. Go and share your Master’s happiness!
Verses used
Matthew 26:52-53, Luke 23:34, Matthew 23:37-39, Matthew 25:21”
