At 90 still we say: “VIVA Mandela!”

I heard some phenominal things this morning.

you know this whole talk about Obama – how South Africans keep saying where is our Obama? it annoys me because we have Mandela and great as Obama is he is not Nelson. maybe because he is old and Obama is the new. i don't care...we still have Madiba.

there is nothing stopping anyone of ourselves from being brilliant, great or gorgeous. "who are we not to be?"

anyway, i was watching Morning Live this morning and i heard the most phenominal things about Mandela. the most powerful thing that seems to strike people is who he is rather than what he is has done. the amazing thing about this for me is that not all of us are exceptionally gifted with all sorts of gifts. our gifts vary and that for me doesn't make the greatest singer or athlete or politician a great person - they are simply doing what they have been gifted with. however character you choose. a gift i don't thing is something to boast about. you don't make yourself a brilliant individual you are born with the gift. God-given. but character is something everyone of us can choose. we can choose to be incredible human beings in how we conduct ourselves and treat others. that to me is the most powerful aspect of humanity and being alive.

anyway Sipho Hot-Stick Mabuza (a South African musician) said of Mandela; "What struck me the most about being in the presence of Mandela was that in his presence suddenly everyone was equal. There were all kinds of celebrities, Will Smith, Ophra, Bill Clinton and all of a sudden you felt like you could just go up to Bill Clinton and talk to him. Everyone was equal."

i think that is the most phenominal thing ever said of any human being. It is almost godlike. in fact it is. we are all equal and that is the truth. all human beings are equal before God. and what is amazing is that - that is what he stood for and was imprisoned for he is what he stood for.

Viva Mandela!