COMMEMORATING MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. / Gandhi's influence on King

In a world racked by terrorism and violence, it is appropriate that we commemorate the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s message of love and nonviolence.

It is also fitting that while remembering his relentless fight for equality and justice, we mull the wellsprings of his philosophy that changed the face of this nation.

Initially, King believed that becoming a minister of the church would be the best way to lead his people to equality and freedom.

During a period of soul-searching, he had, in his words, "despaired of the power of love in solving social problems." At this point, he was coincidentally introduced to the life of Mohandas K. Gandhi in a sermon by Mordecai Johnson, president of Howard University, who had just returned from a trip to India.

King was so moved that he immediately bought a number of books on the Indian nationalist leader. He read with fascination of the life of one who had successfully transformed the ethic of nonviolence into a political instrument against British colonial rule.

The impact they made on him is best described in his own words: "As I read, I became deeply fascinated by his campaigns of nonviolent resistance. As I delved deeper into the philosophy of Gandhi, my skepticism concerning the power of love gradually diminished, and I came to see for the first time its potency in the area of social reform."

"The 'turn-the-other-cheek' philosophy and the 'love-your-enemies' philosophy," he went on, "were only valid when individuals were in conflict with other individuals; when racial groups and nations were in conflict, a more realistic approach seemed necessary. But after reading Gandhi, I saw how utterly mistaken I was."

King came to realize that Gandhi was the first person in history to re- invent the Christian ethic of love as a "a potent instrument for social and collective transformation." It was a short journey thereafter to unreserved acceptance of the Gandhian technique of nonviolence as the only viable means to overcome the problems faced by his people.

After completion of his theological studies, it was once again by chance that King had his first opportunity to test his newfound theories of love and nonviolence. Following the well-known Montgomery bus incident -- in which Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white man -- King helped organize within 24 hours a complete boycott of the buses, which lasted for more than a year until, on Nov. 13, 1956, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that segregation on public buses was unconstitutional, vindicating his cause --

and more important, the philosophy behind it.

"The experience in Montgomery," he was to explain later, "did more to clarify my thinking in regard to the question of nonviolence than all the books I had read. Nonviolence became more than a method to which I gave intellectual assent; it became a commitment to a way of life."

The Montgomery campaign had not only united his people but also stirred the conscience of the country. From then on, the civil rights movement gained momentum under his leadership, leading from one victory to another.

King was to explain later the rationale and evolution of his thinking. "It was the Sermon on the Mount, rather than a doctrine of passive resistance, that initially inspired the Negroes of Montgomery to dignified social action --

(and) to protest with the creative weapon of love."

He added: "As the days unfolded, however, the Christian doctrine of love, operating through the Gandhian method of nonviolence, was one of the most potent weapons available to the Negro in his struggle for freedom."

Today, freedom remains in peril in many parts of the world. The anniversary of King's birth is an occasion to reflect on the seemingly impossible challenges he faced in his time, and whether our current condition can be alleviated by adapting his philosophy.