Slaughter of the innocents

Having lived in Oslo and regarding it as my second home and having been told “du er jo halv norsk” (a true half-Norwegian) I was desperately sad to hear of the recent tragic events in Oslo and Utøya and like many others find it hard to believe that these horrendous acts were committed by an ethnic Norwegian. I cried when I saw the TV news last Sunday morning and my heart goes out to the Norwegian people and their palpable pain. So many innocent lives lost and so many lives touched. I have friends who live near the site of the bomb blast and who minister at the Gamle Aker and Orthodox churches not far away. Fortunately they are all OK, but it serves to remind us of how fragile life is and how we should not take anything for granted. May all the lost souls rest in peace and their families and friends receive the love and support that the need in these dark hours. My experience of Norway is as a peaceful and safe country with a strong history of democracy, tolerance and respect, both for each other and for nature. I hope that these good things will endure and in time the scars will heal and a stronger and more united Norway will emerge.