‘for though a righteous man fails seven times, he rises again, but the wicked are brought down by calamity.’ (Proverbs 24:16)
Human history is full of horrific stories how one human set against another, one race set against another, one country set against another etc. On the other hand, it also contains accounts of how courageous men brought about reconciliations over human strife, bitterness, hatred, mistrust.
Nelson Mandela is one such person. I read with interest how he spared no effort in doing that. The movie, Invictus, actually tells how he after been elected as South Africa’s first black president, explores ways to bring the blacks and whites together after decades of violence and mistrust. The opportunity came when the country held Rugby World Cup in 1995.
The title of the movie is taken from a poem written by Ernest Henley who struggled with tuberculosis of the bone when he was very young and had his foot had amputated in order to save his life. The word “Invictus” means ‘undefeated’ in Latin. Mandela was so inspired by this poem that he wrote it on a piece of scratch paper and kept it in his prison cell while he was imprisoned for 27 years. He even admitted that he probably would not have made it through the long years in prison if it weren't for the words of this poem.
The South African Springboks rugby team is made up mostly white Afrikaners except for one black member. For many black South Africans, its name, logo and colours all represent the dark history and racial injustice of apartheid in their country, hence refuse to support them. To Mandela, a win for this rugby team in the world cup could unite the Afrikaners and the natives.
The rugby team was forced by Mandela to take occasional breaks from their training to go out into the poorer areas and teach rugby to the people. Soon the entire team was out there helping a new generation of children to learn rugby and instil national pride, regardless of race. As the team wins more games, their support by both white and black Africans continues to rise. Its win in the World Cup helps to restore the national pride the country badly needed after the end of apartheid.
Human history is full of horrific stories how one human set against another, one race set against another, one country set against another etc. On the other hand, it also contains accounts of how courageous men brought about reconciliations over human strife, bitterness, hatred, mistrust.
Nelson Mandela is one such person. I read with interest how he spared no effort in doing that. The movie, Invictus, actually tells how he after been elected as South Africa’s first black president, explores ways to bring the blacks and whites together after decades of violence and mistrust. The opportunity came when the country held Rugby World Cup in 1995.
The title of the movie is taken from a poem written by Ernest Henley who struggled with tuberculosis of the bone when he was very young and had his foot had amputated in order to save his life. The word “Invictus” means ‘undefeated’ in Latin. Mandela was so inspired by this poem that he wrote it on a piece of scratch paper and kept it in his prison cell while he was imprisoned for 27 years. He even admitted that he probably would not have made it through the long years in prison if it weren't for the words of this poem.
The South African Springboks rugby team is made up mostly white Afrikaners except for one black member. For many black South Africans, its name, logo and colours all represent the dark history and racial injustice of apartheid in their country, hence refuse to support them. To Mandela, a win for this rugby team in the world cup could unite the Afrikaners and the natives.
The rugby team was forced by Mandela to take occasional breaks from their training to go out into the poorer areas and teach rugby to the people. Soon the entire team was out there helping a new generation of children to learn rugby and instil national pride, regardless of race. As the team wins more games, their support by both white and black Africans continues to rise. Its win in the World Cup helps to restore the national pride the country badly needed after the end of apartheid.
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