You want to be a "world changer". It doesn't come cheap...
I love finding a leader I can be proud of. Someone who leads out of moral authority and not position. Someone who has risen from difficult circumstances and overcome difficult odds. I'm a bit of a history idiot, so please hang with me, but I just found a story of this that I've fallen in love with. I had heard of this guy plenty of times, but never really realized his story.
I just finished watching "Invictus" with Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon, directed by Clint Eastwood. Its a story of how Nelson Mandela was able to help his country begin the process of forgiveness after horrible near-war oppression of blacks by whites in South Africa.
My chin is still on the floor! This was a freak'n-awesome movie and a story that I had to know more about!! Even my son Jonathan was glued to every minute. I couldn't believe how awesome Nelson Mandela's character was in the movie. Every few scenes, the message of "Forgive those who persecute you" was beautifully portrayed. This movie was truly inspiring -- I had to know more. A guy like that had to have some connections with Jesus to understand that kind of forgiveness. Instead of taking the opportunity to get revenge, he forgives those who were his enemies.
How in the world could this guy, Mandela, get put in prison for 27 years, roughly from age 24~51 and have such a forgiving attitude!?! I couldn't believe it so I had to do some research to find out if the movie was accurate in that area.
Mandela bio:
http://www.answers.com/topic/nelson-mandela
Religious views of noble peace prize winners:
http://nobelist.tripod.com/id3.html
Mandela reminds me a lot of Martin Luther King Jr. Wow! What a life of suffering and responsibility -- What a calling. He spent 27 years in prison for believing that blacks should have the same rights as whites in his country. He mined limestone and harvested seaweed from Prison during the part of his life when the rest of us are raising children and "living the good life". His prime life was literally stolen from him. He lived in a tiny cell on a prison island for much of his term -- with only a bed on the floor for his early twenties, thirties and forties. Talk about plenty of opportunities to grow bitter. "Why is this happening to me God!" -- but he didn't become bitter. How did he do it!! This man deserves to be listened to. He's got some moral authority.
A miracle happens and he gets out of prison. Then gets elected president of South Africa. He's able to forgive his oppressors and form a coalition government with those who hated him and what he represented. Talk about forgiving your enemies, he kept many of his "enemies" to work with him in the new government when he was elected president. In fact, he was awarded the Noble-Peace-Prize WITH one of the men in the opposing government he was up-against, Frederik de Klerk
De Klerk also seems to be an awesome man who rose to the challenge at the right time. Is this a coincidence that he became President when Mandela was needed? Is there an opportunity for us to stand up for what is right? Can we sacrifice like that?
Core Truth: Forgiveness is really powerful. When someone will step up and take the first steps of forgiveness, its like throwing a rock at a wall of snow that is about to avalanche. Small acts of forgiveness really can make a difference.
These men were able to rise to a higher calling, and were able to lead-by-example in forgiveness. The really helped their nation to begin to reconcile the terrible hurts from apartheid. Reminds me of the biblical Joseph story -- a man who sat in prison for years, only to end up saving Egypt from a great famine, along with many neighboring nations.
Other notes:
Mandela was born in a tribe where he herded animals young in life. His tribal name was "Rolihlahla" which meant "Troublemaker". This name strikes me as strangely prophetic and sarcastic at the same time. The "troublemaker" becomes one of the greatest "peacemakers" of our era, from such humble beginnings.
Both of his parents died when he was young. He proved a very smart man and went to live with the Chief's family. He could have led a comfortable life with his status in the tribe, but instead went to college to be a lawyer where he started getting in trouble leading peaceful demonstrations against apartheid policy in South Africa. These activities eventually led to a "life term" in prison.
A couple of Mandela Quotes:
"If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner. " -- Sounds loosely like something a Jewish carpenter said a while ago..
"There is no easy walk to freedom anywhere, and many of us will have to pass through the valley of the shadow of death again and again before we reach the mountaintop of our desires. "
It's awesome to see leaders who we can look up to. I'm proud of this man.
BTW, Clint Eastwood is putting out some pretty cool movies on reconciliation and forgiveness. This is at least his second one, Grand Torino was pretty awesome too.
Here is the meaning of Invictus, (Latin for "unconquerable"):
And the link to the poem: http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/invictus/
No comments:
Post a Comment