the ends of life

Terry Waite is even more impressive in person than you'd perhaps expect. At yesterday's inaugural Segelberg Lecture he gave the audience what they came for — harrowing glimpses of his time in captivity, and what led up to and followed that experience. And some rather trenchant side commentary.

[This quote may not be 100% verbatim] "I can't believe that so-called civilized governments can even entertain the idea of subjecting individuals to torture. It is degrading to the people who commit it, degrading to the societies they come from, and degrading and humiliating to the victims."

This self-identified Christian says that he did not allow himself to pray extemporaneously during his time in captivity, because he thought it would degenerate into "oh God get me out of here." It was his responsibility—his choice—that led him into his situation, and so he saw no point in being "childish" about it.

"In the face of that which happens, one learns to face reality and deal with reality."

I'll post a link to his talk once the video goes up on the Dal faculty of management website. And also a summary of his list of American social crimes under the present administration. That was quite the mini-manifesto.