Madiba's Day

When a man of 92 years of age...a man who has seen more hardship and struggle than most...a man who has shown by his example the ability to forgive...when he asks a country to give 67 minutes of their time to the people around them as a way of giving him a birthday present, then how can we say "no"?

So today we made lots of sweet rolls and a big pot of butternut soup and took it to the homeless who hang around the shops down the road from us. A friend and her three children joined us with sandwiches and oranges. For a long time I have been asking how we can reach out to those in need in a practical way, besides for the monthly pledges we give to places of safety. And it was this request of our ageing statesman that helped us take the step.



Is it easy to give an amount of money monthly annonymously? Yes, I think it is. But to be the hands and feet of the Lord in this world takes time, patience and a humbling of oursevles.



My children came along but were intimidated by this for different reasons, but as the first person thanked them for the soup and rolls, I could see their whole attitude begin to change.

From now on I think we will make this a regular Sunday activity. How better could we spend the time?

That was one of the things that worried me - to be raised to the position of a semi-god - because then you are no longer a human being. I wanted to be known as Mandela, a man with weaknesses, some of which are fundamental, and a man who is committed, but never the less, sometimes he fails to live up to expectations. Nelson Mandela

And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. Nelson Mandela



No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.
Nelson Mandela