9.10.2009

Gospel of Nonviolence

Today Jesus tells his disciples (and us):

To you who hear I say, love your enemies,
do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you,
pray for those who mistreat you.
To the person who strikes you on one cheek,
offer the other one as well,
and from the person who takes your cloak,
do not withhold even your tunic. ...
Love your enemies, and do good to them,
and lend expecting nothing back;
then your reward will be great
and you will be children of the Most High,
for God is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.
Be merciful just as also your Father is merciful.

Challenging. The way to nonviolence is certainly a positive "soul force" as Ghandi called it. (By the way, did you know he read the Sermon on the Mount every day twice a day for most of his life?). But it's not easy. Every day is a day to follow the nonviolent Jesus.

3 comments:

Eliza said...

Twice a day? or twice a year?

Susan Rose Francois, CSJP said...

Twice a day. Thanks for catching my typo (which I've now fixed).

Sr. Ann Marie said...

This about says it all, doesn't it! Another quote that for me is basic to living the gospel of nonviolence--even though it predates the gospel--is from Micah:
"This is what Yahweh asks of you--only this: to live justly, to love tenderly, and to walk humbly with your God." Those words really help to keep me centered!