Can we have shortcuts in reconciliation?

I will be honest – I struggle with confession. I struggle with acknowledging the truth that I have hurt someone by my words, actions or attitudes. Even when confronted, I try to minimize, avoid, justify or simply hide the truth. I guess some things have not changed since I was a little girl who was…Read more Can we have shortcuts in reconciliation?

Part Two: Unfinished business with our neighbors

We had a wonderful visit to Cambodia and one of the stops was Angkor Wat in Siem Reap. This ancient Hindu/Buddhist temple is one of the most famous landmarks in this part of the world... an amazing monument of history, craftsmanship and art. It is impossible to take a bad photo while visiting these beautiful…Read more Part Two: Unfinished business with our neighbors

Part One: Unfinished business with our neighbors

Have you noticed that once you start paying attention to a certain thing or topic, it seems to appear everywhere? When I started my journey of ‘peaceroads’ and started thinking and studying about forgiveness and restored relationships in a deeper and intentional way, suddenly I heard the word “reconciliation” a lot. Is it just me…Read more Part One: Unfinished business with our neighbors

Discovering empathy, hospitality and embrace

When I was 18 years old and left home for the first time, I stayed in Oslo, Norway. I went to help some relatives of mine with childcare and they gave me an opportunity to experience the beautiful Norway and its culture. During the week I went to study Norwegian in a class for immigrants.…Read more Discovering empathy, hospitality and embrace

The old man who is still looking for peace

You never know who you may meet while traveling. Last week I spent some long hours on the plane from Riga - Moscow - Bangkok. Sometimes you have an encounter and think, "Interesting timing! Why am I meeting this person here and now?" When boarding the plane in Moscow, I noticed that I would sit…Read more The old man who is still looking for peace

The suffering of ‘unwanted’ people

This week I returned to my current home in Thailand and to the news headlines about the human tragedy in the Andaman Sea. This tragedy has been going on for many years since I have lived here. The story of suffering starts in Burma (official name - Myanmar) and it affects the whole region of…Read more The suffering of ‘unwanted’ people

Walls that keep us ‘in’ or ‘out’

This week I was traveling on a long international flight. Usually my flying routine is sleep, eat and watch movies. The airline had a good selection, especially documentaries. So, I watched a short documentary about the fall of Berlin Wall in November of 1989. It brought back lots of memories and a flood of emotions.…Read more Walls that keep us ‘in’ or ‘out’