Rev. Noah Van Niel, whom do you admire?

Who is a well-known person, past or present, that you admire?

Well assuming that I can’t say Jesus, since my chosen profession should make that clear already, another well-known person I greatly admire is Nelson Mandela. I admire his fortitude, his patience, the strength of his convictions and the grace and equanimity of his person. Had I been in prison that long, missed that much of life, I would have either given up or grown bitter. Neither were true for him. And because of that, he was able to hold together a fractious nation that, while not perfect, remains intact because of his efforts. Not to mention the way in which he, along with Desmond Tutu and others, went about the work of reconciliation between races in South Africa was nothing short of miraculous. And in its unflinching examination of the truth, but generous approach to the work of reparation for the injustices and horrors perpetrated it served as a model for how we can confess, not deny the past, while also leaving a way forward for the future.