Emily Graves spoke with freedom fighter and healer Fr. Michael Lapsley

Emily: Your book has recently come out. Why did you decide to put your story into the book?

Father Michael Lapsley: Sixteen years ago I had a biography that was written about me and even at the time some of the reviewers said, we'd like to hear from him; we'd like to hear his version of his story. I've had the privilege in the last many years of working all over the world and so in that working I have learnt a great deal from other human beings as they work through what's happened to them and it seemed it was the right time to begin to share some of that wisdom. I also decided when we were going to write this book - and I wrote it with this colleague Stephen Karakashian - that it was important that there would be a degree of self-disclosure, because I think if we pretend that we are perfect and there have never been any issues in our lives, that doesn't really encourage other people because all of us have challenges. If we are able to share deeply what our life journey has meant and the choices that we have made, I think we can then encourage and inspire others and give others hope. My niece in New Zealand read the book and she said, you talk about many painful things, but what permeates the whole book is the sense of hope; that no matter how terrible things are that we have experienced, there's always the possibility of new life and, if you like, integrating the wounds into our journeys so that we still have the scars but the scars are no longer bleeding. I suppose the title of the book in a way says it all: Redeeming The Past - the word "redeeming" suggests this idea of bringing good out of evil and life out of death. The book is this journey of mine from freedom fighter to healer, but I would hope that as others read it they look at their own life choices and they're encouraged in their own journeys of healing and certainly many of the reviews have born witness to that.

Emily: Looking at the book you had all sorts of wonderful comments, from Nelson Mandela and the prime minister of New Zealand. How do you feel having gone though what you have and then getting the recognition from people saying you've done it; you've stayed your course?

Father Michael Lapsley: It's deeply gratifying that others, including some very extraordinary figures, have responded and given that kind of validation, recognition and encouragement; so yes, a sense of thankfulness.

Emily: What is your prayer for the world as you travel to different nations and tell your story?

Father Michael Lapsley: So much of my work is listening to the pain of the human family and I suppose my prayer is that, as a human family, we are able to face up to the past; what's happened to us as individuals and what's happened to us as communities and nations. As we truly acknowledge what's happened and hear one another's pain, we are able to begin to let it rest. I hope that my own life witness contributes to the world becoming gentler, kinder and more just.

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