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| President McAleese and the Queen |
The Queen of England arrives in Dublin today. The visit, her first ever to her nearest neighbour, is full of historical significance. It is seen as a sign of the improved relations between our two countries, united by a long and tortured history.
However, yesterday I met a man who spoke bitterly of the visit. Having been raised in Derry during the Troubles, the British monarch was the symbol of a system he rejected.
While I could listen and have some understanding of the suffering that was the source of his anger, I know that bitterness must not determine the path ahead.
A man from Holland who read my recent blog 'Praying for Osama bin Laden?' sent me a quote from Martin Luther King, Jr.:
'Returning hate for hate multiplies hate,
adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars.
Darkness cannot drive out darkness;
only light can do that.
only light can do that.
Hate cannot drive out hate;
only love can do that.'
only love can do that.'
Thank God that this day has arrived, unthinkable at the height of the hated and killings of the Troubles.
