This week, as we move into a study of the life, principles, ministry, and impact of Nelson Mandela (1918-2013
), I would like, again, to focus on a principle that seems to be a constant in our study. That principal is that moral leaders give hope to people who do not have faith that their lives can ever really be different. They EXIST without hope. They do not LIVE believing their lives can ever really be different. The "moral" leaders we are studying are not perfect, but they have a vision and the strength to inspire others to have hope. The Scripture passages I ask you to read and meditate upon in advance are: Mark 1:21-28, Romans 13:1-7, and Romans 13:3-4.
Nelson Mandela's life and work offer a number of important lessons about moral leadership:
Forgive failures, but do not forget them.
Avoid talking down to people.
Make the most of setbacks.
Be willing to see the humanity in people.
Be disciplined
Discussion Questions:
1. If Mandela had moved into guerrilla warfare, would we be studying him as a moral leader?
2. Do his failed marriages and struggles as a parent matter to our evaluation of him?
3. Does Mandela bear responsibility for the corruption of the ANC and the lack of serious economic progress for black South Africans?
4. Reflect on how 27 years in prison made Mandela a better person.
5. Did Mandela work effectively in a team? How did he balance individual leadership with collective action?
Gushee, David P.. Moral Leadership for a Divided Age: Fourteen People Who Dared to Change Our World (p. 248). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
