May integrity and honesty protect me, for I put my hope in you.

Psalm 25:21

Ayaan Hirsi Ali was raised in a strict Muslim family.  She grew up moving from one unstable country to another, surviving civil war, female mutilation, and beatings. She sought asylum in the Netherlands to escape a forced marriage. There she eventually became a citizen, earned a degree in political science and, as a member of Parliament, fought for the rights of Muslim women and the reform of Islam.

Her autobiography Infidel is a fantastic read. I would especially recommend it for anyone who has been confused by the application of holy ancient texts in modern culture; to anyone scarred by the incision between belief and behavior.

To speak your heart’s truth into deaf ears – to shed light for blind eyes – is a brave thing to do. Ayaan Hirsi Ali does, in spite of death threats and rejection from friends and family.

“I had come to incarnate a situation that Holland was beginning to perceive and was shocked by.” She said, “…I could make a difference. I felt the weight of real responsibility.”

Which poses the question, what – or more importantly who – will you incarnate today?

Who will your actions represent?

To whom will you bring hope?