Article March 24, 1997 Issue

Truth, forgiveness, healing

Ellen Moore Thompson

My car radio was tuned to a National Public Radio program called Fresh Air. I was casually listening to an interview with Lord David Owen. Lord Owen was a participant in the Balkan crisis cease-fire negotiations, and he is the author of a book entitled Balkan Odyssey.

I began to listen more earnestly when I heard him say that at the negotiating table there was no respect for the truth. For some participants, lying was "par for the course." Lord Owen had insisted that they had to "face up to the facts."

His words prompted me to think a bit about what it is that makes one "face up to the facts." It seems apparent that individuals working to solve a dispute sometimes see truth differently. They may each be convinced that their version of the truth is factual. Some may be tempted to try to cover up the truth with a lie, feeling justified by circumstances leading up to the event.

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