Romans 12:21 “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
There
has been much to-do about Nelson Mandela this week. One could almost say that his
death has enforced the gathering of the masses in somewhat of a new light, people
from all corners of the globe flocking to pay him a final tribute. Although his
corpse lay in an open coffin with rigamortis having set in, in fact without the
help of ice, dry ice or an embalming agent for his body it would be well on its
way to stinking with decay setting in! And yet queues gathered overnight with a
cold stony floor as their bed in anticipation that they would get one last
glimpse of him; this empty shell that once hosted the great Nelson Mandela on
view for all to see. With queues so long that many where disappointingly turned
away. A man that achieved much in his life and one who has lived the example: Not
only a talker but a doer. Was this man a Christian, God knows! And so I will
leave that topic alone but what I will say is here was a man that proved this
very verse… “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:21)
A
man who somehow understood the value of what the Apostle Paul taught the church
at Rome some 2000 years ago! I cannot with any assurance declare that the book
of Romans was his source of inspiration. And yet the principles that he lived
his life by most certain shadow that teaching. Just like most other values that
carry any water with good attached to them all if taking back to their roots hinge
on the foundation teachings of the bible! A man that had such an effect on the
world that even after he had passed the masses from across the globe flocked
and continues to flock to pay him homage.
There
is much to be learnt from this event; did you know in type that there is a day
coming when the world will forbid burying another two men; devout men of God
whom the world will come against and seek their death like no other. Bin Laden will
be child’s play in comparison and yet they are God’s chosen for that very hour!
They too will be on display! People will be so happy to see them dead that they
will send presents to one another celebrating their death. And yet God as
always will have the final say, praise His glorious name! “And
when they have finished their testimony, the beast that rises from the
bottomless pit will make war on them and conquer them and kill them, and their
dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city that symbolically is
called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was crucified. For three and a half
days some from the peoples and tribes and languages and nations will gaze at
their dead bodies and refuse to let them be placed in a tomb, and those who
dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and exchange presents,
because these two prophets had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth. But
after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and
they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. Then
they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here!"
And they went up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies watched them. And at
that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. Seven
thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and
gave glory to the God of heaven.” (Revelation 11:7-13)
Nelson Mandela the man known as “Madiba” such an inspiration
to so many has above all things got me to consider this very verse… Do not be
overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Obviously the greatest example
of all would be the Lord Jesus Christ, the man who willingly went to the cross
accused of wrong-doing and yet He was without sin, my hero! And the Icon of so
many of us, but I wonder how many of us have learnt to appropriate this verse? “Do not be overcome by
evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:21) –
Just as He willingly applied it his life!
Signing
off
Tyrone
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