CPPS JUSTICE, PEACE & INTEGRITY OF CREATION

October 2 is the UN International Day of Nonviolence which has been set to coincide with the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi. Nonviolence is the concept which culturally must have emerged in oriental religions such as Hinduism, Taoism and Buddhism. An attitude cultivated in the hearts of men eliminating all desire to harm the other. The spirit of nonviolence in these cultures extend beyond the realm of human life to include all living things and indeed nature. Mahatma Gandhi exhorted all to not resist to evil so that we can be able to build a world of tolerance and peace. Aldo Capitini, the founder of the nonviolence movement in Italy was the first person to write the word Nonviolence without separation of violence and its’ negation (Nonviolence instead of “non violence” or “non-violence”), to underline the fact that nonviolence was an independent value and not a negation of violence. Nonviolence is not a sign of weakness but a virtue of a man who could have used aggression to his adversaries but chose not to do so because he/she feels so strongly armed with love and peace. Jesus is a great teacher of nonviolence and his words are so clear: "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth," Jesus recalls. "But I say to you, Do not [violently] resist one who does evil. If anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other as well. If a person takes you to law and would have your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone orders you to go one mile, go two miles with him. Give to anyone who asks, and if anyone wants to borrow, do not turn away" (Mt.5:38-42). But we need to be careful not to turn our nonviolence into passive acceptance of violence or active complicity in violence. We may well follow the wise advices of Fr. John Dear’s Theology of nonviolence: “Instead of passively accepting the oppressive and humiliating violence which lands on us like the back of a right hand slap across one's face, we are to turn the cheek, look our oppressors in the eye, accept violence without retaliating and all the while show our oppressors that we too are human, so that their hearts and eyes may be opened, the violence stopped and together we are reconciled” . Motivated by the Blood of Christ shed on the cross let us pray and work for a world free of violence. Jesus goes to his death rejecting violence, loving enemies, calling all who come to him to forgive their enemies, returning good for evil. The Eucharist is the sacrament of nonviolence and Christ offering his body and blood for our nourishment is the one who can show how we can build a society without shedding of blood.