A true giant: Nelson Mandela showed the world the path to peace

There will be many who will have their say today about the impact that Nelson Mandela left on the world. They will have titles after their name or fame as their calling card.

And some of their comments will be worth listening to, especially if they have an actual perspective of what it was like to meet a man held in such high regard -- and to have been intimate enough with him to mourn his passing personally.

But as interesting as their perspectives will be, Nelson Mandela's legacy is centered in the streets, in the townships, in the stories of those who fought alongside him as he made a stand for the freedom of all men.

It is in the jail cell that was his home for 27 years as he fought to bring attention to the scourge that was apartheid in South Africa.

And it lies in the lessons he taught generations and world leaders about the power of understanding, love and working together beyond the confines of race and background to effect change that benefits all men.

Nelson Mandela was not perfect and his journey was not always peaceful. He told that story as often as he talked about the path he chose later in life.

He was a man with a vision that he could make his country and his world a better place -- and in the process, he influenced us all.

There is a lesson to be learned from his life -- and it is not about prisons, apartheid or protests.

It is about the power of one man, one goal and a determination that some principles are worth fighting for if one man will lead the way.

There are not many heroes like that in the world today. There are not many people courageous enough to stand where Nelson Mandela stood or even with the gumption to speak out when there is a wrong to be righted.

And there are plenty of others who use a pulpit to push an agenda of hate and intolerance while pretending to be uniters and crusaders.

They do his memory an injustice.

True courage is not just about standing up. It is about saying truth -- even if it is hard to hear, even if it does not follow conventional wisdom. It is about having a vision beyond the usual, the expected -- and reaching beyond what even seems possible.

Achieving true change requires open ears, open eyes and open hearts.

That is the example Nelson Mandela should set for any world leader, local politician or Average Joe who walks the street. And most especially, it is what our young people should remember as well.

He stood tall for what he believed.

He taught us all that there are some things worth fighting for -- no matter what the cost.

That is a legacy of true courage.

Published in Editorials on December 6, 2013 10:46 AM