July 03, 2012

“Forgiveness liberates the soul. It removes fear.”—Nelson Mandela

The background:

Movie:  Invictus

Director: Clint Eastwood
 

Plot: An incredible leader named Nelson Mandela shows his country what it takes to rebuild a nation. Although his people were oppressed and dealt with a system of racial segregation known as the apartheid he taught them the value of forgiveness and keeping the past in the past. Growing meant liberating themselves from any petty revenge they sought to seek. He showed his people that he had a responsibility and that was to bring everyone together as one, white and black. One way he did that was by making it a goal to help South Africa's favorite sports team win the world cup. The white people in South Africa loved their rugby team to say the least and if they became champions, Nelson Mandela knew what it would do for the country. He would not only prove to the white man that they are wrong about how Africans supposedly are, but most importantly, it would bring the nation together.

 

I chose to watch this movie this summer because I have heard so much about Nelson Mandela and what an incredible man he was. I also heard how incredible the movie was, so I decided to see what all the talk was about. It lived up to the hype, no doubt about it. GREAT JOB Clint!

What hit home for me was when Nelson Mandela said "Forgiveness liberates the soul. It removes fear." Being able to forgive someone who terribly hurt you can be one of the most difficult things in life, but Mandela showed that it is the only way to move forward. You cannot be a slave to what one has done to you and allow it to dictate how you will handle future situations. That is a set up for a miserable life. You must, as he said, 'liberate' yourself from any negative emotions.

The way it relates to our team is not so much the forgiveness aspect of the movie but more so believing in something and how much that has an impact on achieving it. Also, realizing that we are not only playing for ourselves, but rather the university and everyone who looks up to us as well. The Rugby team was AWFUL, but they knew they had a responsibility to help bring their nation back together. They stuck together, fought and never lost sight of their goal. It was all that mattered.