by Irene Daniel
One of my favorite songs is 'Love Can Build A Bridge," by the Judds. My favorite line is "Love, and only love, can join the tribes of man." With an abiding faith in, and love for, humanity, Nelson Mandela built a bridge of love that united the embittered tribes of his nation. Like Ghandi and Martin Luther King before him, he knew the power of forgiveness and reconciliation; and that in the long run, love really can conquer all. I feel so blessed to have grown up with these examples of loving and humble service; great men who overcame the bitterness of mistreatment, and turned that darkness into light. I cannot help but to be inspired.
How easy it would have been to respond in like kind to those who robbed him of his freedom and nearly three decades of his life. And who would have blamed him? In fact the African National Congress (ANC), which was founded and headed by Mandela, was most likely looking forward to a little payback for all their suffering at the hands of the white supremacist minority. And who could blame them? For these are human emotions and we are all human beings, with human weaknesses.
And this is where the overcoming takes place. For those great Spiritual Transcendentalists -- like Jesus, like Ghandi, like King -- all knew that, while they no doubt felt these human emotions, acting on them would only produce more bitterness, more resentment, more fear and violence. They knew that combatting violence with violence only creates more violence; and that in order to transcend that hatred and to get to the other side of the situation, only love would suffice. And no ordinary love, but an unconditional and unrelenting Spiritual love, could be the only foundation for a new nation; a new nation worthy of the South African struggle, and the new light of leadership taking hold therein.
I remember watching 'Invictus,' the movie about the triumph of the South African Rugby team in World Cup competition shortly after Mandela was elected President, and being so amazed at how this victory transformed the entire nation, and even changed the way the world looked at South Africa as a result. Perhaps it was a miracle, but Madiba -- as he was affectionately called by his people -- knew that even miracles need a soft place to land. It was not enough to conceive of liberty and to believe in liberty. South Africa needed to be prepared to receive the benefits of a new freedom; and Nelson Mandela prepared his country for just such a miracle to take place, just in case. He prepared them all, black and white, with his own example of loving forgiveness and acceptance.
And perhaps this is the greatest lesson that I have learned: to be prepared to receive. And I must do my part, do what I can do to create the circumstances, provide the fertile soil for my dreams to take root. And then, when the time is right, provide the space for them to take flight.
It is not enough to mourn Madiba, or even to celebrate his life. We must do more than that. We must take up his mantle, his torch, his great work. If we believe in the miracles of mercy, then we must do our part to create them by forgiving, first ourselves, and then one-another. We must all follow his example and choose higher. Choose courage over fear, reaching out over isolation, light over darkness and love over hatred. This is his legacy and our unfinished task.
Many are saying that a light has gone out in the world. I don't think that's true. For Nelson Mandela's physical voyage on earth may be over, but his light will never be extinguished as long as we carry it within each of us. Here, now, today, let your light shine; and don't be afraid or alarmed at your own brightness. Then he, and Ghandi, and King, and all the others will truly live forever -- in the love we share today.
Choose higher.
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