But, usually, we keep walking, driving or working, and never get the opportunity to share in the life of that stranger who just passed us by.

Stephen Corry could be one of those people who just passed you by. He’s also one of those people who you might wished you had stopped for a chat, to dive into the extraordinary life and times which Stephen has experienced.

Eternity met Stephen at Rough Edges cafe in Darlinghurst, Sydney – a drop-in centre that provides company, meals and social services to those on society’s fringes.

“I forgive them enough to get on with my life.” – Stephen Corry

A self-described “visual artiste”, Stephen was a finalist in the 2011 Dobell Prize for Drawing, one of Australia’s leading awards for artists (before its final year of competition, in 2012). But such an honour is only one small part of why Stephen captured our attention.

Coming to Australia with his parents from the “war zone” in Northern Ireland, Stephen’s years in Australia include growing up within the care of religious institutions. Those years were damaging for Stephen, yet he strives to be optimistic.

“I’ll probably see them on judgment day but I get on with my life,” explains Stephen about his approach to people who hurt him in his past. “Forgive them enough to get on with my life, to make progress, without getting dragged behind by the things that were done to me.”

The impact that one caring nun had upon Stephen’s life is powerful and moving, similar to the “dark” artworks Stephen shared on-camera with Eternity. Offering all of us a glimpse into the wonderful world of Stephen Corry – just one of the incredible life stories which surround us all, and are probably eager for an opportunity to be aired and heard.