A story is told of a good brother and a bad brother who loved each other so well that when the bad brother died, the good brother gave a lot of money to a revered priest to say at the funeral that the bad brother had been a living saint.
The benevolent priest accepted but during the requiem mass lambasted the dead man saying, "We all know he was an impenitent bandit and murderer who terrorised neighbourhoods, but according to his good brother here, he was a living saint!"
The benevolent priest accepted but during the requiem mass lambasted the dead man saying, "We all know he was an impenitent bandit and murderer who terrorised neighbourhoods, but according to his good brother here, he was a living saint!"
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| Nelson Mandela represents true legacy |
The story teaches that good legacy is earned, not bought. In an attempt to leave a legacy, many people have strived for fame and riches but often at the expense of others. Consider politicians that are implicated for swindling money meant for public good. They live large and have stashes and stashes of money in foreign banks. But of what good is it to gain the whole world and lose your soul?
It is high time somebody exposed the illusion that legacy has a connection with positions and possessions. True legacy is not about leaving tall buildings for your children and stuff. It is not about getting to the top without considering how you get there. Real legacy is about leaving worthy footsteps for others to follow. It is about excellence for the good of others. It is inevitably linked to service above self, as the central figure of the Easter Sunday we celebrate today demonstrated. Loving and serving others even to the point of death is the greatest legacy.
It is not easy dying to self but it is worth it. I am reminded of the wife of Chris Rwakasisi who visited him once every week for 24 years when he was on death row in Luzira prison. Her loyalty and prayers were answered when her husband received presidential pardon and got released. Through self-denial for the love of her husband, she proved that is it truly after a grain of wheat has fallen into the earth and died that it bears much fruit.
There is a poem that says we are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. We do so by choosing righteousness, peace, justice, freedom and by earning an honest living. In all, lasting legacy is synonymous with altruism and a grasp of the true definition of love.
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