The BBC news website has the following story on its front-page: Mandela taken off US terror list.At least US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice had the nouse to acknowledge the restrictions as a "rather embarrassing matter that I still have to waive in my own counterpart, the foreign minister of South Africa, not to mention the great leader Nelson Mandela."
It only took them 14 years to finally recognise a democratically elected govt.
Oh dear. Yet another reason for me to hang my head in shame. (:-> lame attempt at humor...)
ReplyDeleteYou know, I was watching a DVD last night called Mandela an de Klerk. It was not a great movie, although the performances by Sydney Poitier and Michael Kane as the aforementioned leaders were great.
What struck me and what always strikes me about this story is Mandela's tremendous humility, strength, resilience and wisdom... Of course, out of which leaps the very essence of reconciliation.
Despite how difficult that is for almost everyone around him.
Yup. Kind of like Jesus, that sort of person could be considered a real terrorist in the face of indignity and domination as presented by the US government so often.
It is astounding.
God have mercy on us all, as we need it.
As an aside and an important one. I do write about my faith quite a bit on my blog. About half of my regular readers are people of faith of some sort. The other half are - well quite the opposite.
I just wrote about something and someone who does not have faith wrote to me privately asking for some answers in regard to vengance, justice and so forth.
Please pray for DM as he struggles with these matters.
The unending thirst for justice in the form of violence and domination, at the personal level and at these greater levels is such a challenge for us all.
Pax.