Pray the Devil back to Hell

Pray the Devil back to Hell was a gut-wrenching documentary on the violence and war in Liberia that occurred in the past 10 years. The story is told through the eyes of the Liberian women who stood up to demand peace in their country. Charles Taylor, the president of Liberia, was using violence to assert his power and control the Liberian people. Opposite the president was the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD), a rebel group determined to force Charles Taylor out of office. The Liberian people were victims of the violent conflicts between the two groups; both groups used appalling violent methods to attack the Liberian government and the Liberian people. Fathers were killed in front of their families, daughters were raped, and mothers were tortured.

While violence was the only method the government and the LURD were using to get their point across, Liberian women decided to stand up for peace. It began in the city of Monrovia. A small group of women organized a protest during which they wore white and spent day and night on the side of a busy city road. They requested President Charles Taylor and the LURD to engage is a peace discussion in order to cease the use of violence in Liberia. What began as a small group soon drew thousands of women. To my amazement, these women were successful in gathering both sides together at a peace conference. After weeks of refusing to sign a peace agreement and increased violence in Monrovia, the Liberian women blocked the group leaders in the conference center, forcing them to come to an agreement. After four devastating years of war, the women of Liberia were successful in establishing peace in their country.

The story of these Liberian women is one of the most powerful stories I have heard. These women were average mothers and wives, yet to my great amazement they were the force that pressured top political leaders and put end to the war. They did not resort to violence or hatred towards those who had killed their children and husbands; they called upon the humanity of both parties and asked for peace. That such a small group of ordinary women had such influence speaks to the power of individuals and perseverance. These women persevered for years and would not be intimidated by political powers.

The statement of one woman stood out to me more than any other. Once the war had ceased and men and boys from the rebel troops began to return to their villages, this woman said “We must forgive them for killing our families and love them – though it is very hard.” These women who had watched such horrors desired to welcome back the perpetrators into their villages, because if they did not they would never attain peace. One sign read “we love you, welcome back.” This kind of love surpasses any human understanding. When I hear this kind of story, Christ’s love seems all the more amazing to me. We are liars and murderers. Just as I look with horror at the things that took place in Liberia, God looks in horror at my sin. I am just as unworthy as those rebels and that president. And yet God is pleased to look upon me with love and forgiveness. “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).