The obvious and most important thing that Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mahatmas Gandhi had in common was their principle of nonviolence. Their other beliefs, philosophies, and teachings all surrounded this one goal. Peace is what we would have once we reach that goal.
Gandhi believed all religions were equal; each derived a base of love and truth. He helped the oppressed feel that they were not alone, gave hope to the poor, and taught that good in life is within reach no matter how far it seems. King respected the opinions of all people and found them to be equal to one another. He understood the ignorant and took the time to show them love when no one else would. This apparent state of tolerance and knowledge is the core of nonviolence. Nonviolence not only stands up to what is wrong, but also for what is right.
Nonviolently negotiating and proving courage [in the face of violence] shows the opponent the powerfulness of truth, empathy, and kindness. Gandhi believed in turning the other cheek not because he was afraid but because running would give the adversary more ammunition to do wrong by people in the future. King believed that nonviolence strengthened the relationship between one and their rival because it eliminated the hurt and humiliation of the opponent, thus disallowing a chance to correct the problem. Our goal should not be to “defeat” the enemy, but to embrace joint responsibility for the ignorance and emotion at hand.
To love thy enemy is the epitome of faith and religious conviction. Though neither were examples of perfect Christians, [Gandhi with his lack of Christian core beliefs and King with his infidelities] Gandhi and King both expressed overcoming hatred and fear with love and compassion. It is this from which stems unthinkable achievement.
Both had a clear sense of purpose… a purpose that reached millions of people. They taught the meaning of existence and empowered people to use what they had to their advantage. Their words and actions were so inspiring, extraordinary, and meaningful that today billions of people look up to them and recite quotes from their teachings. King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his compassion and determination to help turn negativity into a meaningful reality. Though Gandhi was not awarded such an honor, he was rewarded with his kind heart and knowing that he did what he could to open the eyes of arrogance and hate. I am sure many have wished he would have been nominated for a prize such as the Nobel Peace.
Both put aside any prospective violence that they may have wanted to escape from to promote their theory of hope and love. And because of their nonviolent stance, they surrendered their bodies to the brutal treatments of ignorance physically… King who allowed for the masses of violence on his self-praying for the violent in place of returning the violence, and Gandhi who promoted self-starvation in hopes of deterring humans from violence. In the end, they both were killed, but without fear and with their religion/spirituality by their side.
I’d like to end this reflection as Gandhi said, “Non-violence and cowardice are contradictory terms. Non-violence is the greatest virtue, cowardice the greatest vice. Non-violence springs from love, cowardice from hate. Non-violence always suffers; cowardice would always inflict suffering. Perfect non-violence is the highest bravery. Non-violent conduct is never demoralizing; cowardice always is.”