The Unconquered Soul (Invictus, 2009)

In 1875, William Earnest Henley wrote the poem that would, in part, inspire Nelson Mandela to be the master of his own fate - learning that forgiveness can be the mightiest weapon against hatred and tyranny from a prison cell.

The movie, directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon, that takes the name of this poem as its title showed one year of the influence that one, unconquered soul can have on a nation and the world. Mandela lost his immediate family, but looked to the 43 million South Africans as his brothers and sisters who were in desperate need of both forgiveness and a moment of greatness to heal the terrible wounds of fear. Mandela recognized the pull of a national sport, a national anthem, a national flag to bring the black and white of his nation into one voice, one hope, one prayer, and one tremendous triumph.

The grime and grit of the year's Rugby matches are intertwined so well into the fate of the people as the tide turns for the better after Mandela's election. Mandela invited the team captian, Francois Pienaar to tea one afternoon to discuss leadership. "To lead by example and to inspire those around us to be better than they believe they can be." Oh, that the world would be a little better every day. My husband watched this movie with me and declared his intention to move to South Africa if Mandela were still President because he was honest enough to forfeit 1/3 of his Presidential salary to charity because he was paid, "too much." We did a little bit of research and found that Mandela has not been president of South Africa for over a decade.

Mandela may have retired from public life. Freeman and Eastwood may be getting a little "old" for the Hollywood scene. Henley may have died over a century and a half ago. But, each of these men has "put their hand in" to life with more than themselves in mind. So, today, in honor of all the unconquered who have given so much to lift the hands of another, ignoring the burdens that could have been an excuse had they belonged to someone else, I pray that we will all remember their example and become better than we thought we could be.

Henley's Poem... Invictus
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
for my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how straight the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.