Nelson Mandela: Dead But Forever Alive (For a Few)

I just read on the BBC website that Nelson Mandela has died at age 95.  The world’s major news outlets will be noting this historic man’s life for the next several days.  There is first the news itself; then the statements from major political leaders; then the special programs and analysts assessing Mandela’s legacy; then the funeral and analyses of every detail.

Because we live in a time of growing moral cancer and corruption, and accelerating decadence in character among the leaders of nations–leaders in politics, leaders in business, and even leaders in religion–the loss of a man like Nelson Mandela will be noted all the more.  Let the reader take the time to research his life for yourself, and you judge his worth from your frame of reference.

Here are a few quotes attributed to Nelson, which are meaningful because he lived his entire life in such a way that he proved them by decades of deeds.

Real leaders must be ready to sacrifice all
for the freedom of their people.

Mandela demonstrated he was a real leader, throughout his life.  Will the reader make a list of all the things this man sacrificed, compared with most leaders of most nations today, for the people of South African, Black and White?  Did Mandela seek to earn a private fortune?  Did Mandela seek to avoid suffering, or to put up a limit, “Here and No Farther,” as to his willingness to give all for his people?

As an American observing today’s political parties in the USA, I am saddened by the truth that, without any doubt, the United States of America has not a single leader in office “ready to sacrifice all for the freedom of his or her people.”  How do I know this?  Every political office-holder in Washington, and in all of our Fifty Statehouses, knows of lies, misrepresentations, greed, and self-serving in his or her party, yet will never tell what he or she knows.  Our American leaders are willing to “sacrifice” nothing.

Resentment is like drinking poison
and then hoping it will kill your enemies.

Of all the people who ought to have been filled with resentment and hate, Mandela was such a man, after his long prison sentence.  In this statement, Mandela advised us not to allow abuses truly suffered to poison our minds, our souls, and our capacity to heal, move past, overcome, and be freed from any continuing “power” of past abuses.  His words would mean less, except for how he lived after he was released.  He was not resentful.  He was not hateful inside, but “spinning a smile and goodwill on the outside.”  He truly was committed to the additional hard task of seeking national reconciliation and healing.

There were men and women whose wives and husbands, children and grandchildren, friends and neighbors, had been falsely jailed and imprisoned, tortured and maimed, murdered and “disappeared” who were willed with resentment, hate, and desires for bloody revenge.  Mandela had many friends who experienced all those things, yet he refused to allow resentment to poison his capacity to lead towards real healing, peace, and political transformation.  What may we say about the roles of resentment, hatred, and desire to harm their political foes–who have done nothing comparable to what happened in South Africa–among American political figures today, compared with Mandela?   

Do not judge me by my successes,
judge me by how many times I fell down
and got back up again.

Of all the moral lessons Mandela gave and gives us today, this is one of the deepest, for you and me.  Week by week, he was slapped down by opposition or discouraging or threatening words, at least by one or more White or Black people.  Those weeks added to months.  Month by month, he was slapped down–weekly, and daily–by so much organized and unorganized hate and resistance.  Those months added to a year.  Year by year, he was slapped down–monthly, weekly, and daily–by faces old and new, opposed to everything he was, but first of all, because he was a Black South African (and one with an attorney’s credential).

It so happened Nelson Mandela had a spine of courage harder than an African Blackwood (mpingo) tree.  Mandela’s love for his people; his love for justice; his belief in his own daily, weekly, monthly, yearly value as a single man, meant he simply would not have his willpower cut down!  Did he suffer?  Never believe he did not.  Yet he was like other truly great heroes proven over time. He would not give up despite years of opposition and personal suffering.

He was correct in making this statement to us.  How many of us give up and walk away after only one failure, or only after one serious time of opposition?  On which day, which night, would you have quit against the odds faced by Mandela? 

This is the official explanation of this flag:  The central design of the flag, beginning at the flag-post in a ‘V’ form and flowing into a single horizontal band to the outer edge of the fly, can be interpreted as the convergence of diverse elements within South African society, taking the road ahead in unity. The theme of convergence and unity ties in with the motto Unity is Strength of the previous South African Coat of Arms.

Notice, Reader:  “the convergence of diverse elements within South African society, taking the road ahead in unity.”

In the United States of America, all politicians of every political party talk of “American diversity” and “taking the road ahead in unity”–and also, they speak of “America’s great past, great traditions, and capacities for moving forward against great challenges.”  Their words are empty because they fail to fulfill Mandela’s first quote above:  they will sacrifice nothing, except for their parties.

No one is born hating another person
because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion.
People must learn to hate,
and if they can learn to hate,
they can be taught to love,
for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.

From a biological point of view, from the point of view of human experience, here in this closing quote, Nelson Mandela spoke the deepest truth of all.  It is this truth which empowered everything he was able to do in his life after his prison release.  He decided to follow the path of what was most natural, the impulse to love both Black and White, the just and the unjust, the innocent and the guilty–to try with all his power to lead them towards peaceful reconciliation.  He easily might have chosen the path of hate, revenge, and retaliation.  Does the Reader realize these principles are the very heart of what Jesus Christ himself taught in so many words, deeds, and commands?

Jesus Christ said,“No greater love can a man have than to lay down his life for his friends…. These things I command you, that you love one another.”  (John 15:13,17)  Jesus also commanded what most Christians have been ever unwilling to practice in politics or their national (or ecclesiastical) histories:  “But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you…. Treat others the same way you want them to treat you. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same…. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil people.” (Luke 6:27-35)

There is great Self-Love in the United States now.  Millions are hedonists; that is, they seek pleasure, at all costs, and seek to avoid pain or discomfort, at all costs.  This is true for the American People, and for the kinds of leaders they elect from all their political parties.  However, there are among these millions of American hedonists people who think themselves very religious, while at the same time hating other Americans for the color of the skin, or for their political party.  Americans seem to have a tradition of violence and assassination for leaders they truly hate.  It is not unremarkable that Nelson Mandela was not slain for his courage, before or after his imprisonment, by either Whites or Blacks seeking self-interest and pursuing hate.

What made Nelson Mandela great was not his pre-imprisonment life.  He might have died in prison with whatever record he had.  Yet when he was released from prison he never sought personal wealth or personal benefits.  He never sought revenge and retaliation because of years of resentment nourished in prison.  Instead, before and after prison he sacrificed his own interests for those of his fellow South Africans.

What I will miss most about Nelson is how he demonstrated, practically, more love, and more genuine humane, compassionate leadership than most of us ever see in any nation’s leaders, in any era.  Thank You, God, for Nelson Mandela.  JDW