A True Colour in the Shadow: Unveiling the False Foe We Target

By Gad Byiringiro

A few days ago, I was in a dark season of thoughts about my past, when I came to remember the time when I was young and liked to be with my grandpa. He was such a unique, inspiring, and caring man. During that time, hunting animals was a man’s chore to provide a living—and he could do it too! One day while we were seated in his living room, the front door was open, and a forest rabbit came in unexpectedly. I was expecting my grandpa to spear the rabbit but that wasn’t the case. I started asking myself a question:

He goes to the forest for hunting, and sometimes he doesn’t catch any animal. Now the rabbit makes it easy and comes in his house, but he doesn’t want to kill it! How come?

I openly asked him why he didn’t kill it but was shocked by the answer that I was given.

“He is not my enemy,” he said.

I asked again, “Which animal is your enemy then?”

“It's me,” he answered.

I was only seven years old and couldn't understand what he meant. Not until today. I named it, ‘a true color in the shadow’.

Growing in a society where conflict wasn’t a story but daily life, I witnessed intertribal, ethnic, and community-wide tensions with killings almost every day. These have taught me how our life experience can shape who we call ‘enemy’ and how quickly misconceptions can turn into permanent hatred.  But the questions remain.

How do we unveil the false foe we target, and how do we detect ‘a true color in the shadow’ of our hearts? How about when our true enemy isn’t what we see, but something within ourselves (unseen)? Isn’t that ‘a true color in the shadow’?

I have come to realize that most external wars start with unresolved internal ones, whereby we carry unhealed wounds and start to project them onto others.  This article is a self- exploration of how we define enemies wrongly and what approach we should use to redefine them in a new window of redemption, healing, and human flourishing. Ephesians 6:12 says: “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against the rulers, against authorities, against cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places”. This verse emphasizes that our struggle is not against human enemies but against spiritual forces of evil. Our real enemies are not external ones, but the ones we feed in ourselves when we refuse to heal. The ones we blame aren't the real problem; the great enemy is fear, pride, or buried pain. When we unveil that, we start seeing things differently. At this point, let’s not pretend that the journey is over. Our lives are a school; sometimes we fail, succeed, or pause, but life experience should teach us to reflect and ask a question.

Is this fight real and necessary?

However, the biggest battle to fight has not been with others but within ourselves. It’s the fight to forgive; the struggle to release the bitterness of our past; the silence about pain, injustice, or trauma; and the anguish we carry. This is within ourselves and can quietly build walls that separate us for generations.

The silent enemy hidden within ourselves is the ‘true color in the shadow’ of our hearts, thoughts, minds, and faith. Our hope should be that through the horrible battles we pass through, we don’t come out harder, but should come out wiser, more compassionate, and more committed to healing than to holding onto hurt.

Later on, I came to realise that my greatest battle was learning to look inward and to ask myself:

Is the enemy outside me, or within me?

And the great answer was…

Our true enemy is within ourselves, not the people outside.

When we realise that fact, we start the journey toward victory, healing, and resilience.

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Gad Byiringiro grew up in Ntosho, a small mountainous village in Rwanda known for its rich culture and tradition. He later pursued his education in Uganda and Canada, earning a Master’s in Peace & Justice, a BA in Development Studies, a Diploma in Occupational Therapy & Physiotherapy Assistance, and a Diploma in Counselling and Guidance, along with several certificates, including Social Work.

Gad is a recipient of the Orris Garland Humanitarian Award (2022) and the Peace & Justice Inspiration Award (2025).

His passion for mental health was shaped by his personal experience of growing up during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, which he witnessed at the age of 13. The tragedy left many children orphaned, and communities struggling with deep physical, emotional, and psychological wounds. Motivated by this painful history, Gad dedicated his career to working with healthcare and conflict resolution organizations, focusing especially on children and women affected by trauma with limited access to care.

His work in conflict and post-conflict settings deepened his understanding of the long-term impacts of violence on mental health and inspired his commitment to supporting healing and resilience. Gad’s journey has been both challenging and transformative, and it continues to shape his belief that by working together, we can build a more compassionate and peaceful world.