Recognizing the violence in my own heart, yet trusting in the goodness and mercy of God,
I vow to practice the nonviolence of Jesus who taught us in the Sermon on the Mount:
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons and daughters of God...You have
learned how it was said, "You must love your neighbor and hate your enemy"; but I say to
you, "Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you. In this way, you will be sons
and daughters of your God in heaven."
I vow to carry out in my life the love and example of Jesus
-
* by striving for peace within myself and seeking to be a peacemaker in my daily life; -
* by accepting suffering in the struggle for justice rather than inflicting it; -
* by refusing to retaliate in the face of provocation and violence; -
* by persevering in nonviolence of tongue and heart; -
* by living conscientiously and simply so that I do not deprive others of the means to live; -
* by actively resisting evil and working nonviolently to abolish war and the causes of war from
my own heart and from the face of the earth.
God, I trust in your sustaining love and believe that just as you gave me the grace and desire
to offer this, so you will also bestow abundant grace to fulfill it.