'And Still I Rise'

from https://www.facebook.com/GrowingBolder

It is hard to imagine there is anyone left who did not hear of the death of Maya Angelou. What was it that made her appeal to so many people of such diversity? I was shocked to hear she had died like somehow she was immortal in the midst of the rest of us. Yes, she was 86 years old and our days are numbered, each and everyone of us--even Maya Angelou.

I was speaking to someone yesterday about that. She said the Word of God in the Scriptures have stood the test of time--remained meaningful for all these years. She also spoke of how the words shared of Maya Angelou, as those of St. Vincent de Paul, resonate with many people.

I reflected more on this...on why Maya Angelou resonates with so many people. Years ago, I read Why Does the Caged Bird Sing and her other autobiographical books. Her childhood was not a pleasant one at all, but one filled with so much suffering. Yet, her final tweet was, "Listen to yourself and in that quietude you might hear the voice of God." 

How did this woman of God rise from her suffering and become a beacon of hope through her poetry? That, I believe, is the million dollar question! I recently read The Gift of Adversity: The Unexpected Benefits of Life's Difficulties, Setbacks and Imperfections. The author tries to share what Maya Angelou had achieved (not her specifically!). 

We all have difficulties, setbacks, imperfections and some even have traumas. What does Maya Angelou say?  And still I rise!

Isn't that the message of Jesus Christ? Romans 8:28 says, "We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose." Keep reading to the end of that chapter. Does it say we will be spared from any hardships? Not in my Bible! It says nothing will separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord (verse 39). 

Maya Angelou suffered because of others and was a sinner too. Much like the rest of us, as Pope Francis would probably remind us. Her interviews over the years are full of her faith and spiritual songs. She did not shy away from the questions about dark times in her life, but showed us how none of those things separated her from the love of God.

As we recall or endure dark times, may we unite our voice with Maya and those who walked before her and say, "And still I rise!"

Nelson Mandela: Lessons Learned

Nelson Mandela (Graphic from ABC News)

How much of a difference can one person make?  The impact of the life of Nelson Mandela proves one person can indeed make a big difference.  We see a second example in the impact of Pope Francis already. 

The lesson I want to reflect on is that of suffering. As in the story of the nativity of Christ it is easy to gloss over the hardships and suffering and focus on the joyful aspects--which clearly exist in both the nativity story and the life of Nelson Mandela.  

So what were Nelson Mandela's hardships? Growing during the reign of apartheid would probably be considered enough suffering by most. Here is a good link regarding his education, which was rare to receive by a black person during apartheid. At that site, there is reference to a situation in college related to the Student Representative Council of which he disputed the election process to the point where he was given the ultimatum to accept his seat as things were set or be expelled. He chose not to continue his education there based on his uncompromising principles and great tenacity (aka stubbornness). 

I have heard of his involvement in the resistance movement and a sabotage group fighting apartheid, and his having to live "underground" because of his fight against the racism of apartheid and all it involved.  He ultimately was imprisoned for 27 years.  Though his sentence was for life in prison, he had faced the death penalty. 

At the trial he spoke eloquently of his willing to die for his ideals:

“I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”

Twenty-seven years in prison because you are fighting for equality for one's race could make a person very bitter. Sitting on the ground breaking rocks for hours, even in the colder weather wearing short pants, could make a person extremely bitter. 

Yet that is not what happened. The last two lines from the poem Invictus give me some insight: 

"I am the master of my fate:I am the captain of my soul."

This man, who had a list of good excuses to be angry and bitter, CHOSE not to be. I don't know the process, the prayers, the source of perseverance. What I do know is that Nelson Mandela would not compromise his principles to be released early from prison.  He treated each person with great respect and dignity.  The testimonies speak of how Mandela treated people: as each person mattered and was important to him. This was cultivated while in prison and during a time of much suffering. Was it like what we read in Scripture about the refiner's purifying fire?  His suffering could have made him a seeker of revenge. 

Instead, he is released from prison as the great reconciler, the person who would do the seemingly impossible in South Africa.  He would push forward the end of apartheid and the unification of a nation. 

Nelson Mandela (Graphic from Las Vegas Guardian Express)

Have you faced your suffering or do you keep it under lock and key?  Do you dread the thought of it getting out?  Have you faced your suffering and allowed it to sit beside you? Have you decided how to use your suffering in a meaningful way or are you in a partnership with bitterness?

One person can make a difference in the world.  What kind of difference will you make?

Post contributed by Sister Denise LaRock