In 1875, Englishman William Ernest Henley wrote a seminal poem
entitled Invictus, meaning
“unconquerable” or “undefeated”. It is described as a poem that evokes
Victorian stoicism and a stiff upper lip. I think the first time I remember
hearing it quoted in its entirety was by Dr. R.C. Sproul in a class he taught
on Contemporary Theology in the early 1980s. He cited it as the perfect
manifesto to secular humanism.
In the last 40 years little has changes when it comes to the
secular worldview. The message of Invictus
is as relevant today as it’s ever been for anyone staking claim to victory on
the strength of his own indomitable spirit.
This is the poem that is said to have inspired South Africa.
During his 27-year imprisonment on Robben Island, Nelson Mandella leaned upon
its words. In his autobiography, Long
Walk to Freedom, Mandella writes that it was this poem that helped him
learn that “courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The
brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”
If you saw Morgan Freeman’s brilliant portrayal of Nelson Mandella’s life story
in the film, Invictus (2009), you
know that he quotes this poem in its entirety at the end of the movie.
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 strait the gate,
How charged with punishments
the scroll,
I am the master of my fate,
I am the captain of my soul.
When Morgan Freeman went on the Charlie Rose Show less than a year later, he quoted Invictus again and Rose was nearly
speechless. It was as if Freeman had uttered a supernatural oracle.
Now I know nothing about the faith of Charlie Rose or Morgan
Freeman, but what strikes me about Mandella is the disconnect between the
stoicism of his Robben Island interment and the warmth and interpersonal
passions of the rest of his life.
The reason I bring all of this here is because this week we
will examine Galatians 5:26 where Paul speaks to the greatest problem facing
anyone who wishes to walk in the Spirit. And the problem is as old as Genesis 3,
and what Paul lays out in Galatians 5:26-6:5 is the key to gaining victory over
our deadliest flaw. Here’s a hint. It’s the opposite of Victorian stoicism.
It’s the opposite of rugged individualism. It is the heart of the Gospel, a
message that’s relevant every day of your life and I can’t wait to explore it
with you.
In preparation for Sunday’s message, you may wish to
consider the following:
- How does verse 26 point to the relevance of the Gospel?
- What does “conceit” mean?
- What is the relationship between verses 14 and 15 and verse 26?
- How are “provoking” and “envy” the opposite ends of the continuum of self-possession?
- Why does Paul always connect walking in the Spirit to the nature of our interpersonal relationships?
- How does the fruit of the Spirit require relationships?
- Why does God say it’s not good for man to be alone in Genesis 2:18?
- What do I learn about myself from engaging with others?
- How does the Gospel enable me to live in accordance with Paul’s words in 6:3 & 4?
- How do I Corinthians 15:9, Ephesians 3:8, and I Timothy 1:15 fly in the face of the Invictus poem? What’s the good news here?
