Gracious God, your Son promised that everything freed on earth would be freed in heaven and warned that things bound on earth might be bound in heaven: On this day 35 years ago, after 27 years of unjust political imprisonment, Nelson Mandela was freed from prison in South Africa. When he embarked on a program of reconciliation, he taught a master class in servant leadership, giving his country a fighting chance to thrive. By your grace, may his example inspire us all, whether we paint on broad canvases or small. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
