We continue with this connection between spiritual and political activity in Gandhi's life practice.
The liberation of India was to Gandhi a religious duty because for him the liberation of India was only a step to the liberation of all mankind from the tyranny of violence in others, but chiefly in themselves. So Gandhi could say, "When the practice of ahimsa (non-violence) becomes universal God will reign on earth as he does in heaven."
As we would say in the Lord's prayer when we pray for the God's Reign to come....we prayer that it will already come among us as we move through the days at hand. It is the practice of the life within the Reign of God that is a piece of its coming among us. Too often we sit back expecting magic to take place - puff, the Reign of God is here. Then we are confused or frustrated and even a bit despairing because the Reign of God or the life of nonviolence is not the way the world is moving. We know the ways of nonviolence, and yet it is rare for us to walk along that way. So to with the Reign of God. We hear about its life and see glimpses of it in Jesus and through the resurrection life of the Church, and yet we tend to linger in other places and move away from its promise. For us, it is in times like this that we trust that in the power of the Holy Spirit we will be moved to practice the life of the Reign of God and live as life is promised.
Connection: Practice, practice, practice....pray, come, Holy Spirit.
Lord of the Reign of God's Peace, pull us into your ways even as we wander about not sure where to go and how to get there. We need your life-sustaining love and Spirit to move us beyond ourselves and carry us into the embodiment of your Reign. Amen.
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