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Mandela was an anti-apartheid revolutionary of South Africa, politician and philanthropist and he was widely regarded as the father of South Africa. Altogether he had served a prison sentence of 26 and half years. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. He served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. A few weeks after his election, one day Mandela invited his bodyguards for a meal. They went into a restaurant in the city. Mandela noticed a single man sitting alone who looked unhappy. Mandela ordered his bodyguard to invite him to sit at their table and have a meal together. The man was invited to sit next to Mandela. During the whole meal the man remained completely speechless; he just lowered his head and ate quickly in silence. The body guards noticed that the man’s hands and feet were constantly trembling, and his forehead was sweating. After eating, the man left quickly. The bodyguards thought this man was seriously ill, but Mandela answered that this man was not ill; his conscience though was not at peace. He was a prison guard at the prison where Mandela was. He had treated Mandela very cruelly and had even urinated on Mandela’ head. Now that Mandela had become president, the man feared that Mandela would take his revenge. Mandela declared: “When I walked out of the prison cell and walked through the prison gate leading to freedom, I clearly knew that if I could not leave my grief and hatred behind, then I would still be in prison.” Mandela added, “The best way to say goodbye to hatred is forgiveness.” “Reconciliation is the art of leadership. I don’t mean reconciliation with friends, but reconciliation with enemies.”

Mandela’s words and actions make us reflect on Jesus’ teaching on forgiveness and reconciliation. Genesis records that Lamech, a descendant of Cain, one day said: “Sevenfold vengeance is taken for Cain, but seventy-sevenfold for Lamech.” ﹙Genesis 4：24﹚ Jesus adapts these words to answer Peter’s question, “Lord, how often I must forgive my brother if he wrongs me? As often as seven times?” Jesus answered, “Not seven, I tell you, but seventy-seven times.” ﹙Matthew 18：21-22﹚ Then Jesus told a story: “And so the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who decided to settle his accounts with his servants. When the reckoning began, they brought him a man who owed ten thousand talents, but he had no means of paying, so his master gave orders that he should be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, to meet the debt. At this, the servant threw himself down at his master’s feet. “Give me time” he said “and I will pay the whole sum.” And the servant’s master felt so sorry for him that he let him go and cancelled the debt. Now as this servant went out, he happened to meet a fellow servant who owed him one hundred denarii and he seized him by the throat and began to throttle him. “Pay what you owe me” he said. He fell at his feet and implored him, saying, “Give me time and I will pay you”. But the other would not agree… His fellow servants were deeply distressed when they saw what had happened, and they went to their master and reported the whole affair to him. Then the master sent for him. “You wicked servant,” he said “I cancelled all that debt of yours when you appealed to me. Were you not bound, then, to have pity on your fellow servant just as I had pity on you?” And in his anger the master handed him over to the torturers till he should pay all his debt.” ﹙Matthew 18：23-34﹚ Jesus said, “And that is how my heavenly Father will deal with you unless you each forgive your brother from your heart”. ﹙Matthew 18：35﹚ Jesus’ teaching is not just, “whatever displeases you, do not do unto others”, but it is a step forward and more positive, “So always treat others as you would like them to treat you.” ﹙Matthew 7：12﹚ This is a most basic principle of treating others.

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In the parable of the “prodigal son” Jesus explains the deep meaning of forgiveness to a crowd of sinners and a group of Pharisees and scribes. The parable describes how after the younger son’s request to his father to let him have his share of his father’s possessions, the younger son left the house and squandered all his money.

The eldest son on the contrary kept working hard to protect the family business. After a while, the younger son returned home like a beggar. His father did not mention the son’s past behaviour, but immediately ordered his servants to prepare a big banquet to welcome his son’s return. When the eldest son returned back home from work, he couldn’t accept what he saw. He couldn’t forgive his younger brother. He thought that his father was unfair and unjust to him. He felt angry that he had worked for the family all his life, but his father had never offered him a banquet he could enjoy with his friends. He was shocked by the fact that a merciful father could love his children in this way. What the eldest son asks for is a just father, while the younger son needs a father who forgives him and accepts him. In this parable, Jesus speaks of God’s righteousness and God’s mercy. Regardless of the good and the bad, God treats and forgives all equally. Therefore, “You should carry each other’s troubles and fulfil the law of Christ.” ﹙Galatians 6：2﹚ Jesus used the seventy-seven times of revenge mentioned by Lamech in Genesis to talk about forgiving seventy and seven times. “Seventy and seven times” means “forever.” We must forgive those who have sinned against us, just as the merciful Father forgives us forever. The Heavenly Father does not wait until we repent before forgiving us, but by the time we repent, He has already forgiven us, letting go of the past like a loving father, who always forgives his children. “Be merciful as your Father merciful.” ﹙Lk 6：36﹚ We conclude with Mandela. He is indeed a wise man. He knows that the best way to say goodbye to hatred is forgiveness, and that “reconciliation” is the art of leadership, the best way to settle disputes and the safe road to stable peace.