The reality of human suffering is something I observe on a daily basis here in South Sudan. But every so often I am confronted with blatant, indiscriminate, premeditated, inhumane violence that overwhelms me with a sickening revelation of the degree of hatred and evil which human beings are capable of inflicting upon each other.
Take the other day for example…
I have a young friend in Australia who has established a charity to support the development of the hospital in her home town of Abyei. When one of my colleagues here in Awiel told me he would be visiting Abyei I loaned him a camera and asked him to give me some information. I thought he would visit the hospital, meet the Director and come back with a report of what Australians could do to support this town that has been caught in the middle of tribal, political and religious fighting.
I knew the most recent round of fighting had hit the town of Abyei hard, but the report was worse than I imagined. The town has been destroyed. Again, but worse than before. Every house has been burned, every building ruined, every school, market, administration building, communication tower… Even the hospital has been destroyed with the roof and everything inside stolen. All that remains are walls that I am told are beyond repair.
One building remains untouched, towering over the empty town as a symbol of the perceived moral superiority of the perpetrators.
I find it hard to comprehend how one group of humans can be so dedicated to the extermination of another group of humans. And, as has happened throughout history, God is used as the justification for the most evil of human behaviour.
God have mercy on us.
Then, on the other side of the word, a young friend continues her work, waiting for the day when Abyei can be rebuilt, confident somehow that no matter how many times the village she loves is burned to the ground, her people will return and build it up again.
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