What would you do in the face of unspeakable horrors that befell your family and your country?
For Kent, an international student from Rwanda, he put his hope fully in the gospel. Growing up in the wake of the mid-90s genocide, he faced the specter of hatred and violence. But through the rebuilding process, he saw how the only way for one man to make peace with another is through the cross.
Kent saw the shared humanity of those who would otherwise be labeled enemies. And he saw how we all have the same problem of sin, that is solved through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Here’s Kent’s story:
Transcript:
My name is Kent Kamanzi. Well technically, my first name is Mugisha. That’s the first name I was given, back home. It means “blessing.” I think it’s easier to just say “Kent” as my first name because everybody actually knows Clark Kent.
I am from a small country in East Africa: Rwanda. I’ve been in America for about seven years now
The genocide happened 1995 and I was born in 1997. So I never got to experience it. But I got to experience the aftermath of it, and the rebuilding process.
The story of my country in a lot of ways exemplifies the extreme of humanity or how bad a person is evil.
Actually I struggled with that at first. I was like, “God how would you let that happen? Why would you let that happen?”
Some of these people that committed these crimes of violence were, they didn’t necessarily want to but the government said, “If you don’t do it we’ll kill your family.” What do you do then? What if I was put in that same position? What would I do? I could easily make that same decision.
I’ve been only part of Bridges for maybe the past year, and it’s just blown my mind how people just want to love on you.
I’ve come to a place of understanding that I’m no better than the person that committed that crime.
My grandparent’s killer are broken people as well.
So I would totally invite him for him to come and just experience and see what God does when he’s with international students from Thailand to Rwanda. He loves us both the same way and he’s invested in our lives.
Once you realize God loves me regardless of how I’m broken, it’s just a no-brainer, you just want to share with others.
We have faced a lot of difficulties, but yet we find a lot of ways to overcome it. We are one of the fastest growing countries in Africa.
In a lot of ways actually, I think that’s what God intended it for it to be. For each other to love each other regardless of the political differences, their ethnic differences.
Knowing God has no racial boundaries, it has no boundaries at all, period. Everyone was created in God’s image, and God breathed the same breath that he breathed into everybody.
So I can take that to my campus. Radiate that love again, and radiate the good gospel which is that God is our Lord and Savior. And that he cares about you regardless of skin color or ethnicity or wherever you’re from.
God died for my sins and he’s my redeemer. He gave me a better lens to look at life.