Nelson Mandela

Today is officially Nelson Mandela's birthday. The world has been celebrating his 90th birthday. From what the BBC is now reporting (available at http://news.bbc.co.uk, retrieved July 17, 2008), today the village of his birth will also see a huge celebration as well. There has been more than enough written and spoken about him. As of one the many ordinary faces who has been awe-struck by this man's dignity and forgiveness despite all that he endured, all I can hope for is that we have thousands like him. He is not a Saint. He is a man. Yet, by his actions and moral tone, he has given us reason for hope. It is that enduring hope that I believe will be his lasting legacy. I pray that his successors and especially Jacob Zuma will not endanger that legacy.