Advent reminds us to wait … change is coming. Mandela urged his people onward toward change, but the road was arduous. "I am fundamentally an optimist," he 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" (Long Walk to Freedom). Change was coming. But the road stretching out before them was so very long.
Advent speaks of peace. Nelson Mandela was one of the great peacemakers of our lifetime. He lived by the words, "If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner." But peacemaking was neither quick nor easy. "I have walked that long road to freedom. I have tried not to falter; I have made missteps along the way. But I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. I have taken a moment here to rest, to steal a view of the glorious vista that surrounds me, to look back on the distance I have come. But I can only rest for a moment, for with freedom comes responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my long walk is not ended" (Long Walk to Freedom).
Advent is a season of hope. Mandela’s opposition to apartheid landed him in prison for 27 years. "In my country," he said, "we go to prison first and then become President." Though often discouraged, he did not give up. Later in life he said, "Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again." Much of his success lay in his persistence. In his autobiography Mandela tells of his joy when, during those years, he was introduced to his new baby granddaughter. In her face he saw the future of his people. It was customary for the grandfather to name the babies in the family, so he chose her name. She would be called Zaziwe, which means Hope. She would be named for a hopeful future for his people.
And finally, Advent points us toward the source of love, the greatest of all gifts. Mandela said so eloquently, "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" (Long Walk to Freedom).
Nelson Mandela was a great catalyst for positive change in the twentieth century. If he will be thought by some to be a saint, he would contradict by saying, "I am not a saint, unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying."
So it is fitting we remember him during Advent. May we each strive to be saints: sinners who keep on trying.
Steve Goodier is the Director of Communications for the Rocky Mountain Conference.