What the texts in Mandela's prayer book say about ancestors, faith and resilience

We were shown some of his handwritten notes to his granddaughters and nieces, some pictures which bore shrapnel damage and some of the awards he received. While the highlight for many would be holding the Nobel Peace Prize that Nelson Mandela was awarded for his contributions in the fight against apartheid and the ushering in of a new South African democracy; and while that was indeed very special, for me a different artifact proved more compelling: the Methodist prayer book he held while imprisoned on Robben Island.

When we were presented the book while visiting his archives, the archivist made it a point to mention that Mandela wrote down three specific texts that were probably meaningful to him: Hebrews 11, Luke 9:61-62, and John 11. Right after he mentioned them, I briefly gave a thought about why I think he wrote down Hebrews 11. Knowing this chapter is known in Christian circles as the ‘Hall of Faith,’ I suggested that maybe Mandela saw it as a profound text on resilience and a vital way to connect with the ancestors of faith. The archivist was struck by this reading, noting that it was an insight he hadn’t considered.

Read the full post here: https://guesnerth.substack.com/p/what-the-texts-in-mandelas-prayer