This paper explores socio-political and ethnic identities in postgenocide Rwanda and what they contribute to an understanding of mission. As part of the country's reconstruction efforts, the Rwandan government continues to aggressively promote a homogenizing postethnic approach to national unity that officially eliminates references to groups such as the Hutu, Tutsi, and Twa. Using the work of Emmanuel Katongole and Miroslav Volf as reference points, I propose that the missional pursuit of reconciliation is undermined by such postethnic philosophies and policies. God's mission seeks not to eliminate identities per se, but to eliminate the enmity between them, thus calling people to accept and welcome the “other as other” in the name of Christ. Therefore, in the current climate in Rwanda, and despite impressive indicators of social and economic progress, the call of mission may increasingly require a subversive posture.
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