To lay down one's life for what one considers to be right is the very core of satyagraha. (soul-force)
The sword of the satyagrahi is love, and the unshakable firmness that comes from it.
It is odd to even use the word sword in association with love. One brings about harm and destruction while the other (love) makes a bridge so that the separation that causes war and fighting will be undone. Then again, the sword or its many equivalents in battle is primary to warfare. In the same manner, love, is the primary instrument in acts of non-violence and it is the force from which change and action is to begin. It almost seems unbelievable that one can love an enemy so much that one would die for the well being of that enemy. That is a force beyond my imagination and yet there are so many who have been a part of this soul-force. One of the great powers of satyagraha is that it leaves a witness for those who are looking on. It gives all of us a look at a possible way of facing the dilemmas of the day with a whole host of alternative patterns of life. To be a witness to such love inspires that love in others.
Connection: After an event in the day that was less than non-violent, it would be a good practice to review the event and begin to see what the other options of action would have been if we were practicing soul-force.
Be our strength and resting place, O God, so that as we enter the many events and trials of this day we will find rest in your promise of new life. In that promise, we are able to enter the ways of non-violence for there is no need for us to over power anyone in order to make something of ourselves. Thanks be to you, O God. Amen.
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