It is good that we remember Bishop Lakshman’s contribution to the church and the land of Sri Lanka at this time when communities are destroying each other and themselves. Bishop Laksham deeply felt the rift between two ethnic communities, which in a small but significant way were represented in his own diocese. He was an activist for human rights and justice. The people of Sri Lanka, regardless of race and creed, admired his courage. His spirituality exhibited in combat and forged in combat embraced non-violence as a basic principle. Late in his life, alas all too short, he tried to put together in his essays the ideas that informed his ministry. These are but windows into a complex personality. For me, he was a scholar and a martyr, who loved till it hurt. It is a matter of great joy that the Ecumenial Institute for Study and Dialogue should bring out this volume of Bishop Laksham’s essays. He still remains a witness to hope and what is possible in a land that is groping for healing and peace.