Repel evil with something that is better and so your enemy will become your intimate friend. Quran 41:34
The Spirituality of Peacebuilding
Peacebuilding is a call to move ever closer to the great compassion God has for all of creation. Nonviolence is
This spiritual work of inner transformation provides a foundation for interactions in our homes, workplaces and public spaces. It is the only stance likely to bring about peace between faiths and reconciliation when members of a faith disagree internally. Some wise people say nonviolence is our only hope for survival. |
What Is Nonviolence?
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Nonviolence is not simply refraining from physical harm. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his colleagues formulated these six foundational principles:
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As people of faith we believe we are simply not capable of consistently transcending our perceived self-interest on our own - it's just too hard. We need the inspiration of Scripture and fellow believers, and a consistent practice of prayer and surrender to God. Martin Luther King, Jr. said,, "Many of the problems America now confronts can be explained in terms of fear...One of the best ways to rid oneself of fear is to center one's life in the will and purpose of God." Stride Toward Freedom, 1958 Gandhi, a Hindu, began his daily prayer with this passage paraphrased from the first chapter of the Koran: "Thou art the Compassionate and the Merciful. Thou art the Creator of the universe. Thou art Lord and master. I praise Thee alone and desire only Thy help. Show me the right path, The paths which Thy saints have taken” |