Got Holly the Tolstoy book The Kingdom of God is Within You since she is on a Gandhi kick. This is the book that is said to have inspired Gandhi's non-violent protest of the British forces in S. Africa and India.
I have read the foreword by Martin Green and here is a quote I found timely...
...[Tolstoy] had always been taught that Christ's laws were not practical, and so must be interpreted–in effect, circumvented. What he had been taught as practical was quite opposite in tendency: "I was taught to judge and punish. Then I was taught to make war; that is, to resist evil men with murder, and the military caste, of which I was a member, was called the Christ-loving military, and their activity was sanctified by a Christian blessing."
Wow. I guess things haven't changed that much in these last hundred or so years.
But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. –Jesus of Nazareth, proclaimed by Tolstoy, lived out by Mohandas Gandhi.
1 comment:
Did you ever see that Simpson's episode where Homer bought Marge a bowling ball? Only it had 'Homer' engraved on it, and he took it to the alley right away.
You bought your wife a book, and then read it yourself? You are my kind of guy.
Mike Stavlund
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