“Satyagraha is a process of educating public opinion, such that it covers all the elements of society and in the end makes itself irresistible. Violence interrupts the process and prolongs the real revolution of the whole social structure.” ~ Gandhi, Harijan, March, 31, 1946

It was true for Gandhi’s time and it is true for us today. When we keep our eyes on the goal, the “real revolution of the whole social structure,” we understand quickly our need to overcome violent reactions and the dependence on violent institutions to settle our need for justice. As St. Francis of Assisi said, “where there is hatred, let me sow love.” Our need for justice needs to be disciplined by the excruciatingly difficult practice of holding offenders accountable to their violence and its effects without inflicting the same violence onto them. Because violence affects everyone—those not only those who receive it, but also those who use it, even those who try to justify it in the name of a righteous cause. This is why Jesus said he desired not sacrifice, but mercy. It does not hold people less accountable for their violence, yet it manages to transform people and society at a deeper level to stop such violence from happening again.

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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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