December 5, marks three years since Africa’s iconic freedom fighter, Nelson Mandela, died. The great African has left a vacuum on the continent. His shoes are too big to be filled and the continent is still searching for a moral authority that can help bring peace and glory to the continent. The following is a tribute on the man who proved that great people can come into this world in different skin colors following his death three years ago.

Heaven has been busy over the last 18 hours following Nelson Mandela’s arrival there yesterday. The man with uncommon grace and incalculable determination to make the world a better place than he met it, has put angels to work, with many of them working overtime to organize one of the biggest party God’s Kingdom has ever witnessed.

Mandela, whose long walk to freedom led him to jail and later to the presidency, arrived Heaven in exceptional humility where he calmly presented a long and complete account of his life on earth, playing down his role in the liberation of South Africa from racist oppression and restoring dignity to the black race.

The great African, who has significantly inspired people across the globe, has taught the world that great people come into this world in different skin colors and that bitterness is a pill you take believing that it will hurt the other person whereas it ends up destroying you internally. Not many can have the grace to walk away from bitterness and embrace their adversaries. Mandela did it with a smile and that has earned him a special place not only on earth, but also in Heaven where skin color, status, wealth and parents do not matter.

In Heaven, angels only bow to God, but yesterday saw a new thinking in Heaven. A man of such great selfless achievement could not pass unnoticed and this led to angels bowing to Mandela like they do to God. But in his characteristic humility and simplicity, Mandela made it clear that he was not a messiah, but an ordinary man who could not turn a blind eye to the injustice his people were going through. As usual, he told the angels that though much of the success against apartheid was attributed to him, he owed his success to people like Oliver Thambo, Walter Sisulu and others who are also rejoicing to see Mandela, a longtime friend who took the brunt of the brutality the racist regime in South Africa unleashed on his people.

Though here on earth he is considered as a legend in both death and life, in Heaven where he is closely sitting by God and His angels, he is constantly reminding them that he did not deserve any special treatment. He was just an agent of fate and that others deserved more than he had earned. Despite this silent protest, Heaven is still a busy place, with everybody doing their best to ensure that Mandela, the iconic freedom fighter, gets the welcome he rightfully deserves. He was indeed an epitome of determination and selflessness. Enjoy your party, Madiba. You have earned it!

By Dr Joachim Arrey (Contributing Editor)

Cameroon Concord News Group