Gandhi taught us that actions, not words, define who we are
As he was leaving a railroad station one day, Gandhi was asked by a reporter, “Mahatmaji, will you give us a message?” Gandhi scribbled his message on a paper bag and handed it out the window while the train was moving.
He replied, “My life is my message.”
Truly, we remember his deeds more than his words. And so it is with all of us. We all get that talk is cheap. So how do we show ourselves who we really are? Do we find effective ways to bring ourselves back to love when we feel ourselves going into fear? For fear and love are opposites. When one comes, the other goes. Have you noticed that?
We often call ourselves a “Christian nation,” but by what measure do we live up to that name? Certainly not by returning hate for hate and violence for violence. In the final analysis, we either believe in the power of love and the spiritual values we talk about, or we don’t.
Debbie Highfill, Morro Bay
This story was originally published May 29, 2016 at 8:32 PM with the headline "Gandhi taught us that actions, not words, define who we are."