Fame & Fortune

It is hard not to watch television or read a newspaper this week without seeing something about the passing of celebrities such as Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, Ed McMahon, or Billy Mays (just to name a few). But such passings give cause for reflection on those who use their power and fame not for personal gain or fortune, but for the betterment of their societies. Whose lives become a testament to their work for humanity. I’m thinking about Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.

Tsvangirai rose to power on a wave of popular support, despite violent oppression. He has survived three assassination attempts, imprisonment, beatings and the tragic death of his wife. From working as a miner, Tsvangirai became a union leader before helping to form Zimbabwe's Movement for Democratic Change party and becoming its leader in 1999. Opposing President Robert Mugabe's party, he and his supporters have faced violence, intimidation and he was personally charged with treason in 2003. After months of negotiations following the flawed elections of 2008, Tsvangirai became prime minister in February 2009 agreeing to play a role in his arch-enemy Robert Mugabe's power-sharing government.

“It was not a personal decision,” he explained. “The circumstances that we were in was that our people were in a struggle. They had suffered so much, they were down on their knees.”

A lot of good can happen when people are down on their knees.