“An ounce of practice is worth more than tons of preaching.” — Gandhi

I’m writing this devotion on January 30, 2013.

65 years ago, today, Mohandas K. Gandhi was assassinated.

I cried when I found out. No, I wasn’t alive back in 1946.  I didn’t find out about Gandhi, and his death, until 1982. 🙂

I was 12 years old when the movie Gandhi came out, and I saw it three times in the theater.  That’s an accomplishment, considering its 3hr 11min running time!

I could scarcely believe such a man ever lived.  Actually, that’s a quote from Albert Einstein.  He said, “Generations to come will scarce believe that such a one as [Gandhi] ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth.”

It’s amazing what this one man accomplished.  Trained as a lawyer, he did his work not in the courtroom, but in the hearts and minds of people he touched.  He led both Hindus and Muslims to civil rights in South Africa, before achieving independence from England for India.

These are difficult actions, but this simple little man accomplished it all without violence. He rallied millions to revolution, without use of the sword.

Recognize this quote?  “Be the change you wish to see in the World”  Yep, Gandhi said that. And he did that.

Remember this one?  “An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind.”  He was one of those rare people who could clearly see the way things ought to be, and choose to live that way without compromise.

Please visit this page to read many excellent quotes by this amazing man.

When I watched the movie Gandhi at the age of 12, I believed that anything was possible.  Even when I saw Ben Kingsley portray Gandhi’s death on the screen, I believed, amidst my tears, that there was hope for this world if people like Gandhi pointed the way.

I swore I would practice non-violence in my life as a Christian.  So how have I done?

Honestly?

This is my second attempt at a devotion about Gandhi.  I wrote the first one and my computer promptly lost it.

My first reaction was violent.  I wanted to scream and throw or smash something!  Oops!

Apparently I have a long way to go before I can live up to Gandhi’s vision for the world, let alone Jesus’ vision.

But I’m reminded, today, to keep trying.

Gandhi said, “In a gentle way, you can shake the world.”

So…

I shook my computer gently,

and got back to work.

Have a great week,

Mitch