There are books and then there are BOOKS. I just finished one of those BOOKS — a book that really made me stop and think. And think hard. And for my shallow intellect, that was an amazing feat.

The book was Left to Tell by Immaculee Ilibagiza. It is her story of surviving the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. In a bathroom that was 3 feet wide by 4 feet long. With 7 other women. For 91 days. It’s a story of how she was strengthened and supported by her faith in God. And in the end, that faith allowed her to personally visit the man who killed her mother and brother and to forgive him.

How strong would my faith be? Would I succumb to the darkness of fear and despair that Immaculee struggled to overcome? Could I maintain hope — and sanity? And could I do the ultimate — overcome feelings of hatred and a desire to kill those who were the killers of the my family and friends and find forgiveness in my heart?

I would highly recommend this book. But. Be forewarned. What the Hutus did to the Tutsis was horrific. The writing is such that you can see those details in your mind’s eye — yet the details are not explained in grim and gruesome living color as a movie show would display. While this may sound odd, the horror is tactfully and artistically written about.

60 minutes did a story about Immaculee. To get an small idea of what the genocide was like and to see her tell part of her story, go to http://www.immaculee.com. I highly recommend that you view this.

What chills my soul to the very core is this question: Why did the world, and especially the United States , do nothing to come to the aid and rescue of the Tutsis? While we may not have hefted a machete to mutilate and kill the Tutsis of Rwanda, we are no less guilty because of our lack of action.

May the Tutsis find forgiveness in their souls for us.