The village of Cajixay is nestled in a lush valley in the Guatemala highlands. This area is frequently referred to as the Ixil Triangle. While things are relatively peaceful today, not many years ago the Ixil was caught in the middle of a bloody civil war – the brutality of which was horrific. Cajixay was burned to the ground and only resettled after the fighting was over. Today there are approximately 110 families carving out an existence in this beautiful place.
I was reminded this week about the violence that savaged this region not long ago. After 36 years of killing, the civil war officially ended in 1996. CNN published an article this week that reported on four former Guatemalan soldiers who received life sentences (6,000 years each) for the massacre of 201 people in the village of Dos Erres in 1982 They were convicted of crimes against humanity. The article mentions several imes that this sentence was only the beginning. .
Often I have sat and listened to villagers tell their stories from the war. I have wiped away tears as they recounted watching family members and friends murdered. Often they speak of God’s protection on their lives. The men and women who are my age lived through some terrible events; we cannot begin to imagine the horrors. Within their stories, I do not remember ever hearing talk of justice or of settling the score. Maybe because they feel hopeless to do anything – or maybe because that was another time and they live for a hope for a better tomorrow.
However I have heard talk of forgiveness. Next time I will tell you about a friend named Nicolas Toma who taught many about forgiveness. He was an amazing man.
Rich
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