Nonviolent Resistance

One of the lasting aspects of Martin Luther King's legacy is his philosophy of nonviolent resistance. This should not be confused with pacifism but rather seen as an intentional, active means of working towards change in the face of violence and opposition. King's philosophy is as necessary now as it was during his lifetime. As a nation, we seem to have accepted the notion that violence is an acceptable form of defense or resistance, that defending with any means and at any cost is the morally correct way to proceed, and that fighting violence with still more violence is the way to forge a lasting peace. Perhaps we need to take another look at King's philosophy, recognizing that he witnessed to our nation a different way of confronting violence and hatred.

The six principles of nonviolent resistance, as articulated by King and described on the King Center website, are:
1. Nonviolence is a way of life for courageous people.
2. Nonviolence seeks to win friendship and understanding.
3. Nonviolence seeks to defeat injustice not people.
4. Nonviolence holds that suffering can educate and inform.
5. Nonviolence chooses love instead of hate.
6. Nonviolence believes that the universe is on the side of justice.

Of course, these principles are very challenging. It takes great effort to take the way of nonviolence, not just physical nonviolence, but also emotional and verbal. It is hard work to love and to seek reconciliation with those who have hurt us or who seek to do us harm. However, this is the way of Christ - always seeking reconciliation, justice, peace, and love. This is not a naive, stick your head in the sand, fantasy ideology but rather a real world, difficult, life affirming way of approaching all of our relationships.