Happy Birthday, Mahatma Ganhdi

I have been a devoted fan of Mohandas K. Gandhi’s since I was a child. I first learned of him in relationship to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King. When I learned that Dr. King was greatly influenced by Gandhi’s work in India, I did some research about who he was and I was impressed by the accomplishments of this small, shy, brown man who stood up to the British Empire and won freedom for his people.

When the movie Gandhi came out in 1982, I was a young girl and I remember sitting absolutely transfixed as I watched the horrors of what the people of India endured in trying to win their freedom. Gandhi’s story had a huge impact on me. I took from it the idea that one person can indeed change the world. One of my favorite inspirational quotes, which is now almost a cliche, was his advice that we should seek to, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” I took this to mean that I should focus on being the best person that I could be and in so doing change the world. I also took this to mean that if I wanted to see something done I would do what I could to accomplish it.

When I look at the state of our world today I wonder what will come of all of us. Everything is changing so quickly. The old paradigms are crumbling and the new way of doing things is being invented before our eyes. I am an eternal optimist. I believe in the inherent goodness in every human being because we are all instruments of the Divine. It is my prayer today that each of us would take a moment and reflect on the shining example of the potential of the human spirit that Gandhi embodied, and do whatever is in our power to create more freedom for those that we love.

Uncategorized