Love your enemies

Angeline Jolie's recent movie 'Unbroken' tells the incredible story of Louis Zamperini, a former Olympian who survived 47 days at sea and more than 2 years as a prisoner of war.

After the war Louis experienced post-traumatic stress. He became an alcoholic and abusive, saw flashbacks and dreamt every night of strangling the man who had tormented him most. Louis became obsessed with revenge and started planning murder. In Louis' words, 'It was as if the war was still going on in my head.'

Louis found peace in 1949. Reluctantly, he attended a Christian meeting where the preacher declared, 'Darkness doesn't hide the eyes of God'. For a man who had experienced more than his share of the world's darkness, the accusation that Louis was part of the problem made him indignant. But he also believed it was true. Louis asked God for forgiveness and forgave those who had done him wrong. Louis felt 'Suddenly calm. I was no longer fighting myself'.

That was the day the nightmares stopped. Louis would never again experience flashbacks and poured his liquor down the sink. His marriage, previously separated and estranged, was healed and Louis would go on to visit Japan to be reconciled with his captors.

At 135 minutes 'Unbroken' is already a long film, but it's a pity that it ends in 1945. It's the second half of Louis Zamperini's story that offers hope to people who believe they are broken and are looking for repair.