Tuesday, September 22, 2026From the news

Justice Whispered in the Shadows: A Glimpse of Hope from Rwanda

In the face of delayed justice for the Rwanda genocide, Scripture reminds us that God hears the cries of the afflicted and will bring about righteous judgment in His perfect time.

Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay,' says the Lord. On the contrary: 'If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.' Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (NIV)

Romans 12:19-21

And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth? (NIV)

Luke 18:7-8

He does not forget the cry of the afflicted or ignore the plea of the fatherless. (NIV)

Psalm 9:12

Dear friend, as you sip your morning coffee and scroll through the headlines, you may have paused at the news from the BBC: a Rwandan man living quietly in north London, Dr. Vincent Brown—formerly known as Dr. Vincent Bajinya—has become the first person charged in the UK for offenses tied to the 1994 Rwanda genocide. Charged with conduct ancillary to genocide and six counts of conduct ancillary to murder as crimes against humanity, he is alleged to have directed and incited acts of murder and killing carried out by others in the Rugenge district of Kigali that horrific April. After a seven-year investigation sparked by Rwanda's request in 2019, the Crown Prosecution Service has stepped forward, declaring that the UK is no safe haven for those suspected of such atrocities. Other investigations continue, a quiet promise that accountability lingers even decades later.

Thirty years ago, over 100 days, an estimated 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were slaughtered by Hutu extremists—families torn apart, villages turned to ash, cries echoing unanswered in the night. Survivors and the bereaved have carried that unimaginable weight, watching as some perpetrators slipped away, living ordinary lives far from the blood-soaked earth. The pain of that genocide doesn't fade with time; it aches in the hearts of those who lost everything, in the stories passed down, in the silence of graves unmarked. We feel a holy ache reading this, don't we? A reminder that evil once raged unchecked, and justice often seems to limp behind.

Yet, beloved, in this moment of charges filed, there is a whisper of consolation from our steadfast God, who draws near to the brokenhearted. He has not forgotten. Turn with me to Romans 12:19-21, where Paul writes tenderly to a persecuted church: 'Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.' Here, Scripture centers us on God's sovereign justice. The cries from Rwanda in 1994 have not evaporated into the void; they have ascended to the One who holds all authority. Human courts move slowly—Westminster Magistrates' Court awaits tomorrow's appearance—but God's gavel falls with perfect timing. He invites us to release the burden of vengeance, for it is too heavy for our hands. Instead, let us rest in His promise, knowing He sees every hidden deed.

Jesus Himself echoes this in Luke 18:7-8, teaching through the persistent widow: 'And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly.' Though years stretch like an eternity for grieving families, from God's eternal vantage, justice comes swiftly. The Metropolitan Police's War Crimes Team, reviewing evidence over seven painstaking years, mirrors faintly the patience of our Father, who waits not out of indifference but mercy. And Psalm 9:12 seals it: 'He does not forget the cry of the afflicted or ignore the plea of the fatherless.' Rwanda's orphans, widows, and wounded ones—their pleas have been heard.

What does this mean for your day, dear one? Perhaps injustice brushes your own life—a wrong unrighted at work, a betrayal in family, pain from a world that wounds without apology. The Rwanda story confronts us: evil hides in plain sight, but it does not escape God's gaze. Take heart today; let these verses anchor you. Trust that the Lord, who raised Jesus from the grave, is weaving justice through history's threads. In your quiet moments, cry out to Him as those Rwandan survivors have—He listens. And as you encounter others who hurt you, remember Paul's call to overcome evil with good. Feed the hungry, offer drink to the thirsty, even when your heart screams for reckoning. This is the way of Christ, who forgave from the cross, extending grace we did not deserve.

Practical discipleship flows from this faith: read these Scriptures aloud each morning, letting their truth sink into your soul. Pray for the Rwandan families still waiting, for Dr. Brown as he faces court, and for authorities pursuing truth. Above all, cling to Jesus, the righteous Judge who bore our sins so we might live in His mercy. In a world of delayed justice, His presence is your immediate comfort. Other investigations ongoing remind us—light pierces every shadow eventually. Rest here, friend; God's nearness is your strength.