Soul force is spiritual energy, emanating from within but manifesting in external changes. It is also the nonviolent resistance and love of enemies inspired by the life of Jesus and developed and practiced by Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Reesheda Graham-Washington, executive director of Communities First Association, and Shawn Casselberry, a passionate advocate for God's justice and Executive Director for Mission Year, share their view of the term as being deeply personal and community oriented. They have been astonished at the ways in which Gandhi in India and King in the United States, used soul force as a tactic to bring about change. They defined it as "a theology of love characterized by the strength to love God, our neighbors, and especially our enemies."
The tire hits the road when the authors share how soul force is brought to life by seven pivots: from fear to freedom, from barriers to bridge building, from self-centeredness to solidarity, from hurt to hope, from consuming to creating, from charity to change, and from maintenance to movement.
By working with soul force, the authors have learned how to trust one another, to give up the need to control everything, to share resources, and to act according to the compass of their consciences.
