Remembering Nelson Mandela
Today we mourn and remember Nelson Mandela, the first black president of South Africa and leader of the fight against apartheid. Mandela is being remembered across the world as an icon of peace and reconciliation, who stood up to racial injustice at great personal expense.
From his autobiography comes this inspiring quote: “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.â€
Nelson Mandela, who himself was adopted by a tribe leader at age nine when his parents died, reminds us through his legacy that it is not the color of our skin that defines us. We are made to love. Through adoption, families are raising children who do not share their DNA, racial or cultural background. By our ability to love which comes from the Creator of love, we are family.
So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. John 13:34