Emmanuel Kolini: The Unlikely Archbishop of Rawanda
Mary Weeks Millard
Reviewed by Teresa Konopka
“Emmanuel
Kolini: The Unlikely Archbishop of Rwanda” by Mary Weeks Millard is a
biographical book. It traces the life of Kolini from his birth to
his
middle age. Millard has done excellent research, citing many
events in
Kolini’s life, both social and personal.
The book starts off
with a poem by the author. It gracefully describes the genocide
in
Rwanda, paralleling her imploring nature for forgiveness. It
conveys
both sorrow and hope in an elegant juxtaposition. In the
beginning of
the book, there is also a list of people who have perished in Rwanda
that were known to be Christian. Afterwards, the book starts off
talking about Kolini’s childhood and upbringing.
Later, the book
gives a historical look at the Rwandan genocide. It provides
facts,
names, dates, places, and more to give readers an inside look at what
exactly happened in the late twentieth century in that African
country. As the book progresses, Millard incorporates Kolini’s
reaction to the genocide. As a refugee, he fled and was displaced
numerous times. While he was a Christian at those times, his
faith was
not yet strong enough.
Eventually, there is a time when Kolini
returns to Rwanda, amidst all of the turmoil. Then, he claims to
feel
more spiritual. It is at that point when Kolini begins his
ascension
to archbishop. Afterwards, Millard discusses his quasi-missionary
work
as well as his compassion for Africans that were infected with HIV and
AIDS. Millard inserts paragraphs that quote Kolini’s prayers for
his
trust in God, his safety, and the well-being of others in Africa.
Overall,
this book is very informative. For those who do not know much
about
what went down in Rwanda, both in terms of massacring and religious
revival, this book will fill them in. At the conclusion of the
book,
readers discover why exactly Kolini was so unlikely as the archbishop
of Rwanda.