Children lay candles for the global icon at the Nelson Mandela Square in Sandton(SABC)
SABC: Sherwin Bryce-Pease
Churches across the United States have paid tribute to former President Nelson Mandela with messages infused with references to his life and work.
In Harlem, New York, one of the first cities Madiba visited after his release from prison in 1990, the congregants of the Abyssinian Baptist Church paid tribute to his leadership, with a message from the pulpit that Nelson Mandela was a man transformed through spiritual intervention, an opportunity also used by South Africa’s UN Ambassador to dispel rumours about the country’s future in a post-Madiba era.
Singing Lord Bless Africa, the people of Harlem paused to reflect on a fallen but unforgettable man.
Assistant Minister, the Reverend Nicholas Richards, says: "We pray in unity for the life of your son, our David, our warrior King, Nelson Mandela, Madiba, for it is right and proper that we thank you God for this man, this black man, this African, we are sad yet rejoice, in sorrow yet at peace, for Madiba truly lived, South Africa is better, the Zulu, the Bantu, the Boer, the Xhosa is better because of Madiba."
The South African delegation was led by the country’s permanent representative to the United Nations Ambassador,Kingsley Mamabolo
The packed Sunday service was filled with a message that Madiba was given his ability to forgive and reconcile through the grace of God.
A man who was flawed but a man who was able to change as the day demanded it of him.
The South African delegation was led by the country’s permanent representative to the United Nations Ambassador,Kingsley Mamabolo.
He took the opportunity to talk about the road ahead for South Africa.
The Manhattan District Attorney, Cyrus Vance Jr who was in the audience. "I think of Nelson Mandela as someone who really represented good conquering evil and so everywhere around the world, my family is reflecting on how powerful that message is and how strong his impact is regardless of race, regardless of where you are as a model for us," Vance said.
A South African couple told us they feel privileged to call him their own. "We live in New York now but to sit where we sit we can’t believe that this guy was actually our own leader – and yet so many people want to claim him as their own and we’re happy to do that as South Africans. That’s true, we’re happy to share him, he was an incredible man. This weekend we’ve realized how many people he’s touched and that he truly was a saint for all of us."
Remembering the legacy and the lessons it teaches us but celebrating a life now held up as a blueprint for the road ahead.
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