This morning I watched War Dance, a phenomenal documentary that follows the lives of three school children in Northern Uganda. These kids have witnessed the horrors of war and the destitution of grief-- and yet they carry on. They take care of their families, attend school, and excel in tribal music and dance.


At the end of the movie, the kids share some final wisdom with the viewers: "What I want people to know is that children from Northern Uganda, even though we live in the war zone, we can do great things in life."

It's true.
It's true of these brave kids in Uganda, and it's true of you and me.

We are not defined by what has happened to us-- the horrible or unfair things we've experienced in life. The children of Uganda understand this better than most. They haven't buried their pain or forgotten the atrocities that have happened to them. Instead, they've resolved to confront their pain through forgiveness. Ghandi wrote, "The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong."

We must learn to live courageously. Aware that even in the war zones of our own lives, we can face our pasts and forgive. Aware that even in a war zone, we are capable of great things.
What is more, we are meant for great things.

"We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us" -Em Forster