NEW YORK CITY, NY (ANS) -- Lisa Gibson is a Christian attorney and Executive Director of the Peace and Prosperity Alliance who lost her brother Kenneth Gibson on the 1988 terrorist bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland.

So, you would have expected her to, like so many others who lost loved

Lisa Gibson

ones during that terrible event, mastermind by Libya, to harbor a great hatred for Muammar Gaddafi, the leader of that country.

But instead, Lisa has been on a mission of forgiveness to Libya and Gaddafi and now she has been able to meet him in New York.

Lisa, whom I first met during a recent trip to Kurdistan, Northern Iraq, where she was a member of a “Culture of Life” delegation, told ANS, “Several years ago, when I launched out on this journey to be an ambassador of reconciliation with Libya, I had a dream. It seemed like a ridiculous dream at the time, but nonetheless very clear. In the dream, I had the opportunity to meet and share the love of Jesus with Muammar Gaddafi.

“For several years now, I have been doing missions work in Libya. It is the most tangible way I have known how to overcome the act of terror that my brother was killed in for good. It is the essence of the gospel, which calls us to love our neighbors as ourselves and to love our enemies.

“Now if you have been following the news in recent weeks, there has been all kinds of controversy around Libya, especially about Muammar Gaddafi making his first trip to the US and addressing the United Nations.”

Lisa said that she heard that he was going to be at the United Nations, she asked Ambassador Aujali, the Libyan Ambassador, if I could meet Gaddafi.

“The Ambassador said he would do everything in his power to make it happen,” Lisa continued. He [Gaddafi] is a controversial man and a true revolutionary. You never really can predict what he will do or how he will respond. But one thing is true. Few people can resist a gesture of authentic goodwill motivated by love.

“So, I arrived in New York on Tuesday, September 22, 2009, believing in faith that the dream God gave me would become a reality. That I would have the chance to meet Gaddafi face-to-face and share the love of Jesus with him. But after I arrived, there was tons of controversy around him in the news. It was obvious that the general sentiment in New York was hate toward him. He couldn't even find a place to stay.

“On Wednesday morning, I went to the United Nations. As I stood on the street corner watching the leaders from countless nations arrive, I just stood there and prayed for them silently. It was a procession of many different nations, several in the Muslim world drove by, each with their countries flags in their windows.

Lisa Gibson meets some Kurdish women during her recent trip to Kurdistan (Photo: Dan Wooding)

“As I proceeded to the grounds of the United Nations, several groups were protesting Gaddafi's visit. There were two Libyan opposition groups, one led by the last King of Libya's grandson. He was ousted by Gaddafi during his revolution 40 years ago. Many of them shared there stories with them and my heart went out to them.

“The Pan Am 103 victims’ families were also protesting. There was a much larger group protesting Ahmadinejad from Iran's presence at the UN, but he didn’t get nearly as much attention in the media. For some reason, the eyes were all on Gaddafi, and the comments were not good.”

Lisa went on to say, “There was one group of people that came out in support of Gaddafi. This group is the Nation of Islam. It was a rather unexpected combination. A group of more than 500 African American men with dark suits and bow ties, who are followers of Louis Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam.

“There were also Black Panthers in the group. All standing, holding a rally in honor of Muammar Gaddafi. The speakers included Native Americans, Chuck D former lead singer of the Public Enemy rap group and other Nation of Islam members.

“Among the crowd stood a few young Libyan students who have come to the US to study and me. A lone, white, Christian women in the middle of the crowd. It could not have been a more political display, but at times it was really unclear what message they were trying to communicate.

“We watched on a big screen television as President Obama and then Muammar Gaddafi addressed the United Nations. Even as members of the crowd held up signs declaring Gaddafi the King of Kings, I couldn't think of a better place to pray.

“After the rally, we (the group of Nation of Islam supporters, and myself) were invited to go to the Libyan Mission headquarters to wait the Leader's arrival. While we waited I made some new friends among several Libyan students that were there. One was a young woman who is in the US studying pharmacology and is due to have her first baby any day.”

Then came the moment Lisa has been waiting for for so long.

“After waiting for several hours, we got word that he had been delayed. So, I left. At 5:30 pm, I received a call from the Libyan Ambassador who invited me to come to the Libyan Mission to meet the leader at 7:30 pm.

“So, myself and another young man who lost his father on the Lockerbie plane, were invited to a one-on-one meeting with Muammar Gaddafi. He shook my hand and we exchanged the general pleasantries. I shared with him that I have been to Libya three times and have truly fallen in love with the Libyan people.

“I also talked about the projects we are engaged in there. He was grateful. I also gave him a gift. A ‘Cross’ brand pen and a card. In the card I shared that I have been praying for him since my first trip to Libya in 2005, wished him the best for himself and the people of his country, and blessed him. Not the expected response to a known dictator and terrorist. But, when he opened the gift, his countenance changed. His previously stern demeanor softened for a moment and a genuine boy-like smile came to his face.

“It was truly a historical day by many standards. I have the t-shirt and umbrella with a welcome for his first trip to America to prove it. The western media were not present, only a small delegation of Libyan reporters when I met with Gaddafi. They filmed and asked us questions, but the world may never hear about it. But as I walked out of the Libyan Mission and on the way back to my hotel, I felt God's peace. I had fulfilled that particular mission. While the rest of the world was spewing hate and rhetoric against him, one simple woman welcomed him to America and shared the love of Christ with him in the simplest ways I knew how. I pray that it will in someway make a difference.”

For more information on Lisa Gibson’s ministry, go to www.peaceandprosperityalliance.org

Dan Wooding, 68, is an award winning British journalist now living in Southern California with his wife Norma, to whom he has been married for 46 years. He is the founder and international director of ASSIST (Aid to Special Saints in Strategic Times) and the ASSIST News Service (ANS). He was, for ten years, a commentator, on the UPI Radio Network in Washington, DC., and now hosts the weekly “Front Page Radio” show on KWVE in Southern California and which is also carried on the Calvary Radio Network throughout the United States. The program is also aired in Great Britain on UCB UK and Calvary Chapel Radio UK. Wooding is the author of some 43 books. Two of the latest include his autobiography, “From Tabloid to Truth”, which is published by Theatron Books. To order a copy, go to . E-mail: danjuma1@aol.com. Wooding, who was born in Nigeria of British missionary parents, also recently released “God’s Ambassadors in Japan” which is available at http://www.amazon.com/Gods-Ambassadors-Japan-Kenny-Joseph/dp/0982486901/ref=sr_1_22?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1250907756&sr=8-22