Nelson Mandela, An Extraordinary LIfe

Nelson Mandela had a long, eventful and extraordinary life that was more like the stuff of legends and myths. He was the conquering hero who survived against the odds and lived to fight another day.  By his words and example, he changed his own country, South Africa, and the world.

Mr. Mandela's death at the ripe old age of 95 was not unexpected. But South Africa and the entire world mourn his passing because it is hard to let go of such an extraordinary human being; someone we grew to  respect and admire because he endured adversity with such dignity without succumbing to bitterness and hate. On the contrary, he has taught us much about love and suffering.

I always knew that deep down in every human heart, there is mercy and generosity. 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. Even in the grimmest times in prison, when my comrades and I were pushed to our limits, I would see a glimmer of humanity in one of the guards, perhaps just for a second, but it was enough to reassure me and keep me going. Man’s goodness is a flame that can be hidden but never extinguished. Long walk to Freedom, Nelson Mandela

As inheritors of Mr. Mandela's legacy we live in a world  transformed by his example of an extraordinary, purpose-driven life of courage, steadfastness, integrity, humility and compassion born out of a fundamental belief in the innate freedom of all people.

Nelson Mandela said,  I was not born with a hunger to be free. I was born free – free in every way that I could know. Free to run in the fields near my mother’s hut, free to swim the clear stream that ran through my village, free to roast mealies under the stars and ride the broad backs of slow-moving bulls. As long as I obeyed my father and abided by the customs of my tribe, I was not troubled by the laws of man or God. Long Walk to Freedom, Nelson Mandela

Today, with the passing of Nelson Mandela, there's one more angel in heaven; there's one more star in the sky. (Lyrics from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat)
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