1,763 Days in Captivity - Forgiveness & Reconciliation
Terry Waite was born just outside Wilmslow in Cheshire in 1939. In 1980 he was recruited as a "special advisor" and chief travel companion by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Robert Runcie. He had particular success in helping to negotiate the release of several hostages from Iran and later Libya in the early 1980s. Then as a result of what he says was "a very dodgy invitation" he visited Lebanon in January 1987 to negotiate with the Islamic Jihad. The goal was to secure the release of British hostage John McCarthy, Northern Irish Brian Keenan and five Americans.
He was taken hostage and kept in solitary confinement for almost five years. Other than for a 10 minute toilet visit, he spent every day of those five years manacled and chained to the wall with no natural daylight. Blindfolded whenever anybody entered his cell, he had no real contact with another human being for most of that time. Finally, after 1,763 days in captivity he was freed on November 18, 1991.
He's president and co-founder of Emmaus UK and Hostage International. In 2023 he was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) in the King’s Birthday Honours list.
Terry is the author of a number of books including Taken on Trust to which we refer extensively in this episode.
Excerpt from Taken on Trust Chapter 4:
Pillows are placed over my head. The man in the suit sits on the pillows. I struggle to move my head so that I can breathe properly. Someone removes the blanket covering my feet. Oh God, give me strength.
A sudden pain shoots across the soles of my feet and convulses my whole body. I want to cry out, but my face is pressed into the pillow. Another blow sears my skin, and another and another. God, how much more? The old man must be beating me with a cable.
After a dozen or so strokes he stops and runs his finger down the length of my foot to see if there is still feeling. When he discovers from my reaction that there is, he resumes the beating. I clench my fists and tense my whole body. My feet hurt so much, so much.
Finally he stops. The man in the suit gets up and takes the pillows from my head. I lie quivering with nervous reaction.
‘Now you will tell us.’
‘There is nothing more to tell.’
This Forgiveness & Reconciliation season will inspire you to forgive and accept forgiveness and to find reconciliation. The stories such as this one are full of hope and we provide some of the science and psychology of why it's so important to forgive and how to do that in the most difficult of circumstances.
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UPCOMING ASCEND EVENTS
Find out more about our other upcoming events here.
To sign-up for our weekly inspiring emails, please complete the form here.
WHAT IS ASCEND MEN?
Imagine a community of men who are challenged, inspired and equipped to live passionate lives for Jesus. A place where men-care-for-men through a small number of honest personal relationships initiated and supported by regular male-oriented events. Relationships are built shoulder-to-shoulder doing stuff in preference to eye-balling each other!
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