Mandela has left the world a remarkable legacy. Whilst contained within living memory he will be remembered for what he did, for what his sacrifices achieved. He was more than a president, the world has lots of those, he was a leader that emerged from an impossible backdrop of bitterness, rising from solitude to statesman in order to stand for something greater.

Moving into the Christmas break think about what you are known for. How would others describe what you do? Would they pause at position and describe your job, or would they go further and describe the deeper purpose and passion of your life?

With the passing of a titan the stark reality of Mandela's life begins to fall from focus as his message becomes contained in soundbites, quotes, statues and memorials.

His words will weather the years but the decades will dull the potent nature of a revolutionary who chose to reject the poison of prison and instead walk the difficult road of reconciliation.

We must be disciplined to look beyond the barriers created by quotations and the static nature of statues to remember the man behind the memorials and the electric nature of peace, sacrifice and forgiveness.

“As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn't leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I'd still be in prison.”
― Nelson Mandela

Like film faded by time the years transform the way we see things as history is wrapped up and reinterpreted through songs, documentaries, political speeches and personal opinion.

Even more so this is true of the Christmas story as the firey potency of this great tale is distilled into a quaint Nativity scene. A remarkable story of liberation lost in the thoughtless rendition of carols sung on auto-pilot. The shepherds cease to be invited outcasts empowered, and instead become comic relief around a hillside fire. The Magi arrive at the scene, one in a taxi, one in a car, whilst the third arrives on a scooter, blowing his hooter and smoking a big cigar. The soon to be mass murderer, Herod, becomes a pantomime villain and the pregnant, unmarried outcast teenager becomes a beaming vision of purity dressed in the finest blue linen.

From remote village to revolutionary Jesus has too be tainted by the years. Reformed to fit the ideals and personal positions of religious leaders, his words constrained to quotations, his life and message diluted to become more digestible, forgettable or even something we can entirely ignore. And yet beyond the questions of his nature, or the distractions of religious belief we find a man, who’s footprints are worth walking in. A man who helped the worthless discover their value and who saw the oppressed walk tall. The original liberator who challenged the status quo and who through his life and death magnified the words of his manifesto; 'The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free’.

This Christmas, Mandela reminds us of the importance of looking beyond the statues and the soundbites and recognise the real world man behind the story. This Christmas will you look beyond the carols and cards, the TV specials and statues around the Nativity scene?

Give yourself some room to be inspired and reflect on these words from the last verse of the classic carol ‘O Holy Night'

'Truly He taught us to love one another,
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother.
And in his name all oppression shall cease'

Words worthy of our time this Christmas.

To close this reflection you have a musical choice to make:

1. Listen to this version of 'God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman' by David Bazan: http://j.mp/GodRestYe

2. Stick with 'O Holy Night' as performed by Nat King Cole: http://j.mp/oholynight13

3. Experience a Christmas explosion with Aretha Franklin: http://j.mp/JoyToTheWorld13