December ninth marked the 77th anniversary of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, which codified genocide as a criminal offense under international law.
Genocide is a term coined by Raphael Lemkin, a Polish Jewish lawyer and Holocaust survivor. It represents the darkest act of humanity – the deliberate annihilation of entire groups based on ethnicity, religion, or culture.
Every yr, the United Nations holds a high-level event to mark the International Day of Commemoration, honouring the victims of genocide and reflecting on the anniversary of the Genocide Convention. Significantly this yr’s event was held between two landmark milestones: the thirtieth anniversary of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda and, in 2025, the thirtieth anniversary of the 1995 Srebrenica massacre in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Yet, despite the UN’s efforts to recollect and commemorate these past atrocities, genocide shouldn’t be only a chapter of history, it stays a horrifying reality in our world today. From the continuing horrors in Sudan’s Darfur region and Ethiopia’s Tigray, to the persecution of Christians in Iran, Eritrea, and lots of other nations, these acts of brutality displace tens of millions from their homes, claim lots of of 1000’s of lives, and function a chilling reminder of humanity’s failure to learn from its past.
But often, if we’re honest, we now have tunnel vision as we face the demands of our day by day life – work, family, church activities – while global atrocities remain distant news stories on the sting of our consciousness. Desensitisation, or “war fatigue,” as some researchers call it, dulls our empathy. We shake our heads, grieve briefly, after which move on, as ‘never again’ tragically becomes ‘many times.’
So, what should we do? Mother Teresa’s words offer guidance, “If I take a look at the mass, I won’t ever act. If I take a look at the one, I’ll.”
Each victim of genocide is a person, made within the image of God. Our response to genocide, due to this fact, is not just a matter of politics or humanitarian aid but a matter of religion and justice.
We have a biblical mandate to like our neighbour, and this transcends national borders. We are called to see the one, to act for the one.
In Luke 10, we discover an authority in Mosaic law asking Jesus a profound query: “What must I do to inherit everlasting life?” Jesus, as He often does, points him back to Scripture: “What is written within the Law?” The lawyer quotes Old Testament scripture on one’s duty to like God and his neighbour. To which Jesus responds, “Do this, and you’ll live,” affirming his answer with a challenge.
And this challenge invites deep reflection, do what’s unattainable for humans in our sinful state: love God and our neighbour perfectly and constantly.
Yet, the lawyer in Luke 10 avoids acknowledging his inability to fulfil the law and his need for God’s grace asking, “And who’s my neighbour?” Seeking to limit the law’s demands, he reflects a standard teaching of the time – that one’s ‘neighbour’ only included fellow Jews.
How often will we do the identical, in search of the bare minimum and asking, ‘What’s enough to be a superb Christian?’ ‘How can we give without real sacrifice, or care without discomfort?’ This reflects a heart looking for limits, not love – I’m like that so often. In response, Jesus tells the parable of the Good Samaritan, redefining a neighbour not by proximity, ethnicity, or belief but by need. His command is radical: love everyone.
And why? Because one and all – every man, woman, and child – is made within the image of God and that truth demands our motion, compassion, and love. We are called to look beyond our comfort, remembering the grace we have received and the grace we will share.
For those of us where complacency can have taken root, let this Genocide Awareness Day be a wake-up call. Let us not be wilfully blind but take heed to Micah 6:8 ‘…and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to like kindness, and to walk humbly along with your God.’ We are called to talk up for many who cannot speak for themselves, to fight for the rights of the victims, even when it’s uncomfortable or politically inconvenient.
Let’s reflect on how we will play an element in stopping genocide by becoming higher informed, writing to our MPs to get them to give attention to ongoing atrocities, and praying for peace in conflict zones. Revelation 21:4 assures us there’ll come a time when there will probably be no death, mourning, or pain. But until that day, we’re called to be His hands and feet on this broken world. Let our lights shine before others so through us victims may encounter the living God who will in the future restore all of creation, wiping every tear away.
Tim Farron has been the Member of Parliament for Westmorland and Lonsdale since 2005 and served because the Leader of the Liberal Democrat Party from 2015 to 2017. Tim can also be the host of Premier’s ‘A Mucky Business’ podcast, which unpacks the murky world of politics and encourages believers across the UK to have interaction prayerfully. He is the creator of A Mucky Business: Why Christians should get entangled in politics.”
