"...people come together based on the needs of their souls and their spiritual curriculum."
Please share your thoughts and experiences as they relate to this quote. Or if you have read this book or are reading this book feel free to reply with one of the quotes from the text that you found meaningful.
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"Sometimes when you fall down, you just have to lie still, and hope that no one runs over you. If they don’t and you lay there long enough, taking care to be very still, breathing slowly, refusing to whine, God will lift you and perform a soul surgery." - Iyanla Vanzat
It took a lot longer than expected but we're concluding the discussion topics for Part 1 of Left To Tell and will be moving on the Part 2: In hiding (about 50 pages). I want to move through these 50 pages in about 2 weeks or less. There are so many other books that I want to read and discuss. I also want to start an official online book club... so stay tuned.
So far in Part 1 we have been given a history on Rwanda, Immaculee's family life, and life in her village. She discussed her education from elementary school through University. At this point in the book, all hell has broken loose so to speak. The country is at war and the Hutu's are literally trying to exterminate the Tutsi's. They are being slaughtered and the government is not only doing nothing to stop the genocide, but they are actually encouraging and supporting it. Immaculee has been seperated from her family and is seeking refuge in the home of a pastor who happens to be part of the Hutu tribe. The fact that he was married to a Tutsi (before her death) may have impacted his willingness to hide Immaculee in his home. Immaculee has no idea where her family is and all she has left at this point are her prayers and faith in God, literally. God bless the people of Rwanda and people affected by war all over the world. War broke out during Immaculee's third and final year in High School. The students at the all girls school where she attended were allowed to listen to the news reports. Most, if not all, of the news reported could be described as propaganda. Announcers claimed that Tutsi rebel soldiers lived in the forest like animals, ate human flesh, and consorted with monkeys. They said the rebels literally had horns growing out of their heads. Many people actually believed this mess.
Why do people put so much trust in the media? What would cause someone to believe that a human being could have horns growing out of their head? Is media really that powerful or were the Rwandas simply crazy for believing this? On Page 12 Imaculee states that "..as a young woman in a very conservative society, I was still expected to be seen and not heard. How ironic that I was the one left to tell our family story."
Do you think God is trying to tell us something by leaving Immaculee, a woman, to tell her family story? I believe he is putting her life on display for a reason. Do you think gender has anything to do with it? Your thoughts...? -Fatimah XOXO On page 10 Immaculee refers to her brother as her soul mate. Do you believe in soulmates? How do you define soul mate? How do you know when you've met yours?
Love thy neighbor. How many of us love our neighbors? I couldn't tell you my neighbors first names if you asked. We say "hi" and "bye" and thats about it. Some of us have never even spoken. Were communities like this years ago? What's changed? Is it me? Something to think about..hmm...
On page 7 of Left To Tell by Imaculee Ilibagiza she states that she and her brothers and sisters were taught to treat neighbors with kindness and respect. Immaculee's parents were strongly connected to their village and dedicated themselves to creating a prosperous, harmonious community. They were known for their good works in the community. I wonder how different the world would be if we all lived this way. What do you think? What do you do to contribute to the greater well being of your community? Fatimah XOXO I am so glad I picked Left to Tell by Immaculee Ilibagiza to blog about in February/March. This book gives so much to think about. Three topics within 5 pages, pretty awesome.
Ok on page 5 of Left To Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust by Ilibagiza, she states that in Rwanda every family member has a different last name. Parents give each child a unique surname at birth, one that reflects the feelings of the mother or father at the moment they first lay eyes on their new baby. I think this is a beautiful way to name a child. What are your thoughts regarding the naming of children? Do you think it speaks to the type of person they will become or to their future? How should we choose our children's names? What do you think of some of the names people are giving their children today? What is your name or your childrens's names and what does it mean? My name is Fatimah. I love my name. It's an Arabic name. Fatimah was the first daughter of Islamic Prophet Muhammad. She is regarded by Muslims as an exemplar for men and women. Many Muslims admired her moral and physical characteristics and referred to her as "az-Zahra" meaning "the shining one". After her mother Khadija, Muslims regard Fatimah as the most significant historical figure, considered to be the leader of all women in this world and in Paradise. Her position in Islam is analogous to the Virgin Mary's position in Christianity. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatimah) I'm not a Muslim but this is better than being named after a rapper. To each his or her own. Your Thoughts? -Fatimah XOXO On page 1 of the text the author states that racism and prejudice were completely unknown in her home. She wasn't aware that people belonged to different races, tribes, etc until she was in school. Her parents kept her and her siblings shielded from these realities.
At what age do you think children should be made aware of the issues of race and prejudice? Do you have children? What age were they when they first learned differences in race? Are they aware of prejudices in our society? I have a 6 year old son and in the past year he's started noticing differences in complexion. He refers to white people as "the peach people" and he knows what Chinese people look like because he learned Chinese in his previous school. They learned a lot about China. However, he's not aware of race and as far as he's concerned we're all the same. He has noticed differences in hair texture and says he wishes he has "boy hair" like the "peach people" lol. I simply explained to him that he should be happy with the hair God gave him. I don't think I'll ever sit him down and say "they are white and we are black..." I'll just wait for him to come to me with questions. He's already learned about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (of course) and when we spoke about it I told him that some people have evil in their hearts toward others and we have to pray for them. I think we need to move forward and recognize one race, the human race. While that may be a little unrealistic its worth a shot. Maybe if we stop talking about race and prejudice so much it can go away. Sometimes we speak things into existence. Your thoughts? -Fatimah XOXO Today marks the first day of our discussion of "Left to Tell" by Imaculee Ilibagiza. If you don't intend on reading the book that is fine. I'd still appreciate your input on the blog topics. Many you will be able to comment on without having read the book. The book touches on so many things that we can apply to our own lives. If you'd like to purchase the book and read along click on the icon on the home page to place your order. We'll be discussing the first 8 chapters (65 pgs) this week. I plan to post a topic of discussion at least 4 times a week so tune in. Your support is appreciated.
Ms. Ilibagiza gives us something to talk about on page 1 of this riveting text. She states, "I was born in paradise." and describes Rwanda, her native land, as "breathtakingly beautiful." She describes "lush, rolling hills; mist shrouded mountains; green valleys; and sparkling lakes." Rwanda is referred to as "the land of eternal spring." As I read her description I thought that that is what Heaven must be like. I imagine Heaven or Paradise as perfect weather (much like in springtime), beautiful bodies of water, rich green trees and grass, cool breeze, smiling people, love, laughter, peace, no disease, no worries, no sorrows, and no bills. How do you imagine Heaven? How do you imagine paradise? What images come to mind when you think of what paradise must be like? (hint: click where it says "0 comments" or the Blog title if you don't see a space to reply) |
Fatimah F.
I was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. I now reside in the Atlanta area. I am a Mother, Daughter, Granddaughter, Sister, Niece, Cousin, and Friend. Archives |