Spirituality of Nonviolence
or King, non-violence was a powerful method for social change at all levels: community, national and international. It is a
positive way of life that becomes a part of all of our personal relationships and everything we do in our homes, communities and political and business life. Nonviolence is a permanent attitude of active love that is reflected even in the choice and tone of words, in body language and way of thinking.
Using King’s spirituality of nonviolence in our personal lives gives us an edge in resolving conflicts and in achieving our goals of the restoration of community between people and God, between nations and nations, communities, and communities, and between person and person. King recognized that conflict was an inevitable part of human experience. However, his teachings on nonviolence can help us more effectively communicate with our adversaries and resolve disputes in a way that benefits everyone.
During his sermon Love Your Enemies, King explained that most people deal with conflict asking themselves the question, “How can I get my way?” When we think this way, as we all do so often, we let our egos manage the conflict.
But there is a better way: the nonviolent way and the first question we ask, “What is the most loving thing to do?” When we think this way, we tap the power of the soul. We overcome the narrow, selfish concerns of the ego. We don’t want to destroy our opponent. We want to win their friendship and understanding. We try to find a
win-win solution. We resolve the conflict, not with the attitude of a conqueror, but with the motivation of a peacemaker.
King considered three reasons why we should love our opponent:
1. Hate only intensifies the existence of hatred and evil in the universe,
2. Hate distorts the personality of the hater,
3. Love has within it a redemptive power to transform individuals.
King concluded that opponents face three choices: one of them is to rise up against their adversaries with physical violence and corroding hatred. Its danger and the weakness is its futility: violence creates many more social problems than it solves.
Another way is to give in, to resign oneself to the conflict. But that too isn’t the way, because non-cooperation with evil is as much a moral obligation as is cooperation with good.
The last and the best way: to organize nonviolent dialogue and actions between opponents based on the principle of love. In king’s opinion love is the only way: the only creative, redemptive, transforming power in the universe. We had the power to love our enemies, to bless those persons that cursed us, to even decide to be good to those persons who hated us, and we even prayed for those persons who despitefully used us.
Once the spirit of nonviolence is internalized we learn how to control anger and channel it into constructive and creative action to achieve our goals. We begin to cultivate virtues that lead to a nonviolent way of life: love, truth, commitment, respect, courtesy, forgiveness, courage, self-discipline, confidence, hard work, honesty and social responsibility. We practice the art of nonviolent communication, thus persuading adversaries instead of fighting them. Indeed, he contended that there would be non-permanent solution to conflict until opposed people developed unconditional forgiveness and love.
(From InterMission - The Xaverian Way)