By David Himbara
Today, I received a kind letter from an American religious leader. She was responding to my article on the Kagame regime’s illegal closure of the Amazing Grace Radio station. The letter was no more than a paragraph. It reads as follows:
”Professor Himbara, you write informative and articulate articles. Remember your words have power to encourage and inspire the disempowered in your country. Your words will come to pass. The powerful in your nation of Rwanda believe they will crush anyone that does not agree with them. The powerful believe they are conquering the whole world. This is not so — the powerful in your nation of Rwanda are merely showing their true character to the world. This is timely because pride comes before destruction Prov 16:18.”
I am not conversant at all with the Bible. So the first thing I did after reading the letter was to look for Prov 16:18. And Proverbs 16:18 reads as follows:
“Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”
These are indeed powerful words – Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. My understanding of this verse is that arrogance inevitably leads even the most powerful to self-destruction. So we must press on with opposition to the brutal regime in Kigali. The regime’s haughtiness will sooner or later work in our favour.
To the kind religious leader that shared the above wisdom, thank you. Your kind words about my work also describe the effort of thousands of other Rwandans actively seeking to end dictatorship in our homeland. Blessings.
