“Religion of our conception, being thus imperfect, is always subject to a process of evolution and reinterpretation.” ~ Gandhi, Gandhiji’s Dialogue with Christianity, Swaraj Peeth, Chapter 2

Gandhi had a radical notion about religion and humanity. It goes like this: If humanity is not yet perfect, and humanity created religion, then religion is not perfect yet, either. At the same time, both can evolve toward higher and higher states of perfection, that is, to be of benefit to a wider and wider whole. This was, for Gandhi, a major opportunity, if not a duty: do not throw away a religion because of its imperfections; work them out. A religion should withstand criticism. A religion, after all, is the expression of a human desire for a vision of unity, and that vision is as yet far from complete. Gandhi is hinting that there is an intimate relationship between our view of religion and of ourselves; both are evolving.

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About Daily Metta

Stephanie Van Hook, the Metta Center’s executive director, launched Daily Metta in 2015 as a way to share Gandhi’s spiritual wisdom and experiments with nonviolence.

Our 2016 Daily Metta continues with Gandhi on weekdays. On weekends, we share videos that complement Michael Nagler’s award-winning book, The Search for a Nonviolent Future: A Promise of Peace for Ourselves, Our Families, and Our World. To help readers engage with the book more deeply, the Metta Center offers a free PDF study guide.

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