A file picture of Gladys Staines

Kohima, Nov. 25: In times of turmoil and revenge, Gladys Staines came, spoke and conquered.

During a recent visit to Nagaland, the widow of slain social worker Graham Stuart Staines, Gladys, spoke of “love and forgiveness as the only way to counter senseless violence”. Her words, softly spoken, were nevertheless resonant with power and inspiring enough to win all hearts.

Though the pain of loss of her family members is still writ large on her face, she said, “Though my loss is unfathomable, my message is to forgive, no matter how difficult … Jesus Christ has taught us to forgive.”

Gladys’ husband Graham Staines and two young sons were killed on January 22, 1999 at Manoharpur village in Orissa, when the station wagon in which they were sleeping was set ablaze by Dara Singh and his gang.

Gladys was here to participate in Nagaland Transformation, sponsored by World Vision, that was organised by the Evangelical Fellowship of India and the Nagaland Christian Forum.

During her address at the function, too, she stressed forgiveness as a pre-requisite for Nagaland to bury its bloody past. “You have to have space in your heart to forgive and forget,” she said when speaking about how the state could make a clean break from its continuing cycle of violence and hostility.

“Forgiveness should be an essential element of human relationships for a better world. Otherwise it is difficult to build relationships,” she said.

Felicitating her at a dinner party, director of medical services Kepelhusie explained why her message and her very presence were so relevant to Nagaland. “Her presence in our midst is necessary because we are going through a process of healing,” he said, adding, “We need a living embodiment of inspiration. Someone like her, somebody who can inspire us to tell about forgiveness, because we need this element of humanity.”

Chief minister Neiphiu Rio, while addressing the gathering at the start of the programme, said Gladys Staines was a living embodiment of the Christian virtues of love and forgiveness.

Gladys later said whatever she had been able to do was “not by my strength but by the strength of God through Christ.”