Principles of Non-Violence, Part 7 (The Man in the Mirror #28)

Today, we are going to continue looking at the fifth of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s six principles of nonviolence. 

Let’s begin by focusing on the sentence: “Nonviolent love is active, not passive.” This principle calls us to not only to be reactive in our lifestyle, but to be proactive. We ought to look for ways to demonstrate Christ-like love to our neighbors -- even those who dislike us. We ought to willingly go out of our way to do good to those who have not always done good to us. 

Shortly before He died on the cross, Jesus Christ told His disciples, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” What was one of the ways in which Jesus loved not only His disciples but the whole world? He loved us unconditionally to the point that He died on the cross for our sins even when we did not deserve it. In fact, Jesus died for the very people who condemned Him to death and demanded His crucifixion.

It is this willingness to go above and beyond that will make us stand out, identify us as followers of Christ, and give us even greater influence in our communities.