Mandela's unattainable vision...

If 2005 really is, a year of me learning and devloping my thouhts on the world and life (see last entry), one thing which really is becoming more and more important to me is the plight of human equality, and, what I call `super-equality`.

The modern ANC in South Africa, (Post-Mandela), in my opinion is utterly removed from it's origional agendae (hope that's a word) as established and pioneered (even imprisoned for!) by Nelson Mandela. His vision was the same as the great Martin Luther King - not one of black rights, but one of human equality. Mandela fought with politics more than he did with an AK47, and was even imprisoned because of that, but unlike the black rights activists of the Southern States of America, who perpertrated violence as a means to equality (like Malcom X), Mandela quietly and unfairly suffered his incarsoration, possibly knowing of his final vindication as a result of such inspiring peace. My friend is a South African (who moved to the UK around three years ago), and when I asked him about his thoughts on Mandela, the first thing he said was:
``Nelson Mandela was a great man, I'm honoured to be even thought of in the same sentence as him.`` - JD
However he went on to tell me that the ANC (Mandela's political Party who are now govern South Africa) are now the other way, and as a means to achieve [an apparent] racial equality, employers have to satisfy racial quotae (I hope that's a word too!) and if a white or black man go for the same interview with the same crudentials, it's the black man who MUST be offered the job over the white man. That isn't equality and, I'd venture to say, not why Mandela spent so long in prison.

`Super-equality`, I think is people like the BBC correspondants and retarded people, who try and out-moral each other, and over emphasise their earth shattering compassion for the world and go out of their way to witch hunt and twist what people say to make themselves seem better. It's not an easy thing for which to find an example, but (uncharactoristically) I don't blame the people for this, more the benevolent curse [oxymoron! :) ] of `political correctness`. Much as I don't want to question the sincerity or emotional state of some correspondants, it struck me with the recent events in Zimbabwe, rather than a report being presented with:
``In Harare today, much devistation was bought by the state upon political unsettlers``,
it was reported with
``Discusting scenes unfolded in Zimbabwe with Mugabe heading inhumane killings and mass unsettlementing of residents``
(On an aside note, my two cents are that Mugabe is a corrupt inhumane dictator, but not dissimilar to the rest in post-colonial Africa! Either way, I'm insulted that the media feels the need to dictate my emotional reactions to such events).
(But I have serious issues with both relativism and emotionalist media anyway!!).

This evening at youth group, Eric (our youth leader) was talking about the importance of forgiveness.
``Forgiving someone is far more powerful than NOT forgiving them`` - Eric Burgesss
The Bible (John20:23) says that when we forgive someone, they are forgiven, but if we don't then they are convicted of that sin too. Also, (I think it's) Ephesians 4:32 which says God will not (not `can not`) forgive us unless we forgive our brothers. Some issues in my life atm, mean that there's a lot of forgivness required which isn't coming very easily, and I was (by and large) at a loss to work out how not to begrudge certain people. But God was speaking to me this evening in worship, and telling me that unforgivness and contempt are just byproducts of (even euphanisms for) pride. And the antonym of pride is `humility`. So I guess I need to humble myself like Mandela to be vindicated (whether that be on earth or heaven). And more to the point, I need to be humble that I can forgive and pass the glory to my Father in heaven.

At the end of this very dismal day, I guess, with the number of races there are in the world, there'll be a hundred-thousend racists to un-justify each one. Maybe it's human nature, maybe it's political or maybe it's even a standard corruption of the devil, but I'm willing to be a Mandela in this world. I'm willing to show humility in the face of any persecution in this world. In the face of whatever the persecution, I choose to make it my station to match unfair persecution with a display of God-like love. I know this is difficult, but then, so is racial/political incarceration in a prison in an Apheartheid (Sp?) country, and so is crucifiction for the one's banging nails in your wrists.