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| "For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others." - Nelson Mandela |
If I could sum up Nelson Mandela's life in one word, it would be this: courage.
The thing I've admired most about him is
that Mandela survived all those years in prison. He not only survived, he
became edified, strengthened, almost as if he gained sustenance from all those
uncertain years spent behind prison bars.
Mandela was sent to prison on Robben
Island, South Africa's version of Alcatraz, knowing he would probably be there
for life. Originally, he was sentenced to death. He was forced into hard labor,
chipping at limestone on the rock quarry. Through it all, he stood
pat, never faltering. In fact, Mandela was a source of strength and
encouragement to other men imprisoned there.
It is far more strength than I or the
average person could muster.
"I am fundamentally an
optimist," Mandela said. "Whether that comes from nature or nurture,
I cannot say. Part of being optimistic is keeping one's head pointed toward the
sun, one's feet moving forward. There were many dark moments when my faith in
humanity was sorely tested, but I would not and could not give myself up to
despair. That way lays defeat and death."
No doubt, Mandela was sustained by the
force of ideals stronger than the most oppressive of prison bars. If Mandela
was a beacon of hope for people, it is because the principles he stood for were
his guiding light.
Mandela came to embody not just South
Africa, but the entire continent of Africa. Ultimately, we see him as an
international presence. Like Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr.,
he was one of those individuals who transcended national boundaries. He had that
rara avis gift.
Along with his perseverance, the other
quality I admire was Mandela's ability to forgive. In this sense, I also feel
he shared qualities with some of the great, progressive leaders in history.
Here is a quote from Mandela: "If you want to make peace with your enemy,
you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner."
That reminds me a lot of Abraham Lincoln's
quote: "If I make my enemy my friend, then haven't I defeated my
enemy?"
Through kindness and just treating people
like human beings, Mandela actually befriended several of the captors who were
paid to guard him in prison. When he came to political power, he took the rare
course of seeking reconciliation with his enemies - a trait he shared with
Lincoln and MLK.
Last August, the first time Mandela seemed
at death's door, I took my kids to the library. I read them Kadir Nelson's
beautifully written and illustrated children's book, simply called Nelson Mandela. We saw pictures
of segregated people, then came to the part where Mandela was freed from
prison. He spoke to a "colorful sea of people," the book read.
Imagine that. Copper. Ebony. Vanilla.
Mocha. Alabaster. Sepia. Bronze.
A colorful sea of people.
