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Good morning.Ìý In many parts of the world today, people will pause to remember the life and work of Mahatma Gandhi who was born on this day in 1869. A philosopher and an activist for peace, Gandhi was committed to nonviolence.Ìý Through his example, many others have embraced civil disobedience and peaceful protest, rather than aggression.

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Gandhi’s views were shaped by a wide range of religious and philosophical teachings, including the words of Jesus:

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You have heard it said an eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth, but I say to you do not resist an evil doer. If anyone strikes you on the right cheek turn the other also … and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go the second as well.

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You have heard it said that you shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy. But I say to you love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.

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I have sometimes tried to imagine a world in which everyone lived by the principle of nonviolence.Ìý A world where everyone is genuinely seeking the best for others; offering a helping hand to friend and foe. It seems an impossible dream. And for those who try, it is often personally very costly.

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Gandhi certainly found it so. At times as he struggled for independence in India and stood by the poor and the oppressed, he must have wondered if hatred and violence would finally triumph.Ìý Yet he wrote:ÌýÌý

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Ìý“When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it - always.

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Loving God, Be with those today who are victims of violence.Ìý Give us the patience to believe in the power of love.Ìý Amen