“So he departed from there, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he was with the twelfth. Then Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle on him.” 1 Kings 19:19, NKJV “Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it, and he cried out, “My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!” So he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces. He also took up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan.” 2 Kings 2:11-13, NKJV
“As Elijah, divinely directed in seeking a successor, passed the field in which Elisha was plowing, he cast upon the young man’s shoulders the mantle of consecration. During the famine, the family of Shaphat had become familiar with the work and mission of Elijah, and now the Spirit of God impressed Elisha’s heart as to the meaning of the prophet’s act. To him, it was the signal that God had called him to be the successor of Elijah.”
Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings, 219
This Monument highlights the leadership legacy of Elijah, symbolized by his mantle, passed on to Elisha, his successor. The Biblical account of these leaders is found in the 1st and 2nd Kings.
Monument Elements: Elijah, Elisha, and the Mantle.
Meaning of Names:
- Elijah, Hebrew meaning “my God is YAHWEH”
- Elisha, Hebrew meaning “my God is salvation”
- Mantle, represents the legacy of leadership, spirituality, service, responsibility
In this context, the Monument symbolizes the Adventist University of Africa (AUA) Mission to Develop Leaders. It intends to inspire AUA men and AUA women to learn, serve and pass on the legacy of leadership to those who serve with and follow them.
Located at the AUA Student Plaza, the life-size monument sits on a pedestal facing Northwest to be seen from all directions. It was constructed out of Black Kenyan Granite weighing 12,000 kgs (12 tons). It was sponsored by the AUA Class of 2017, USA Regional Presidents and other supporters of AUA.
The Leadership Park is designed to be a practical illustration of God’s instructive insights through creation. In the animals of Kenya, creatures of the wild, we can see nature models of leadership principles. “An understanding of nature is good . . . This is the foundation of all, for we are not to imagine or suppose, but to discover what nature does or may be made to do.” Francis Bacon, The Advancement of Learning, 1605.
The unique collection of 21 animal metal sculptors in the Leadership Park is the result of generous donations from friends and supporters of the Adventist University of Africa (AUA). It is part of the University’s enhancement goal to make the entire Campus a learning environment.
“Ask the beasts, and they will teach you; the birds of the heavens and they will tell you, or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you, and the fish of the sea will declare to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand are the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind.” Job 12:7-10