Martin's Spirit in our Time: What Would Martin Do?
 Rev. Ted Tollefson - revted9@earthlink.net
©January 13, 2008 @ UU Society of River Falls

Martin's roots reach back into an ongoing tradition, a 'golden thread' of Creative Nonviolence.
Jesus the prophet established the principal of non-resistance to evil ('turning the other cheek') in the Sermon on the Mount.  Henry David Thoreau added the power of active non-compliance to unjust laws in his essay "Civil Disobedience".  Mahatma Gandhi fused these elements, plus the practice of karma yoga, into a social technology for non-violent change which he called "Satyagraha" or "Truth-force".  Martin Luther King further refined these elements into what he called "Soul-force".  By courageously and non-violently disobeying unjust laws, a social drama is created in which the compassion of the oppressor and the dignity of the oppressed are both activated.  When these two forces are joined, a rapid and nonviolent power for change is released.  Martin might call this power "Soul-force" or the Power of God's Love.  I call it "Holy Synergy".

CommonGround:  Martin's Unitarian Cosmology
Though Martin's theology appears to be  Trinitarian, his cosmology----his picture of self-others-community-world is Unitarian.  Self and others, black and white, oppressed and oppressor are joined in a "single garment of destiny".  Ends and means are indivisible: the only way to lasting peace is through peaceful means.  The desired outcome, the "beloved community" is characterized by the undivided unity of peace and justice.  "Peace is not the absence of conflict; it is the presence of justice".

Martin's Spirit in our Time: What Would Martin Do?

1. What would Martin do about the decision to pour billions of dollars and countless human lives into another war that cannot be won by the force of arms alone?
The problem with the Vietnamese is they thought Vietnam was their own country.  The problem with Iraqis, Iranians and Syrians is similar: they think its their country, their neighborhood.  I suspect Martin would encourage us to apply the same non-violent, regional strategy that has worked well with North Korea.

2. What would Martin do about America's recent relunctance to be held accountable to the Geneva conventions on torture, the Kyoto protocols on climate change?
Perhaps he would remind us of the golden rule: what we do to others will be done to us: including Iraquis, polar bears and 'enemy combatants'.  The golden rule is universal and unavoidable: what goes around comes around.   

3. What would Martin do about the attempt to turn us into an island nation, surrounded by guard towers and hundreds of miles of barb wire?
He might remind us that even islands are surrounded and connected by the sea---the ocean depths of our common humanity.  He might remind us of our shared history: we are still a nation of (mostly) recent immigrants who were welcome by our native American elders.  Do we really have the right to close the gate, bar the door, and place a crown of missiles atop the Statue of Liberty?

When the Spirit of Martin returns (and I believe it is)
we will find ourselves
          dreaming again
          hoping again
          joining hands and marching again

In the twinkling of an eye
with alot of blood, sweat and tears
a river of peace-and-justice will flow through us
and many things will change.

May Martin's dream come true in our time
and for countless generations to come.

amen. blessed be.

Blessed are the peace-makers