Nonviolence Is an Act of Love
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Nonviolence Is an Act of Love
Father Richard Rohr describes the “eagerness to love” that characterized the life and spirituality of St. Francis of Assisi (1182–1226):
If our only goal is to love, there is no such thing as failure. Francis of Assisi succeeded in living in a single-hearted way, in which his only goal was to love. This intense eagerness to love made his whole
... See moreLove demands a complete inner transformation — for without this we cannot possibly come to identify ourselves with our brother. We have to become, in some sense, the person we love. And this involves a kind of death of our own being, our own self.
Catherine Shannon • Overcoming isolation within the self
Not arms, but love, understanding, and organized goodwill can cast out fear. Only disarmament, based on good faith, will make mutual trust a living reality.
Martin Luther King Jr. • Strength to Love
Nonviolence of speech means that our speech should be honest and loving even when direct and strong.
Michael Stone • The Inner Tradition of Yoga: A Guide to Yoga Philosophy for the Contemporary Practitioner
Active nonviolence begins with the truth that all life is sacred, that we are all equal sisters and brothers, all children of the God of peace, already reconciled, all one, all already united, and so we could never hurt or kill another human being, much less remain silent while wars rage, people die in poverty, and nuclear weapons and environmental... See more
Transformative Nonviolence
Think of Martin Luther King Jr., over and over again, preaching that hate was a burden and love was freedom. Love was transformational, hate was debilitating.