Finally, Gandhi’s counsel becomes a practice: remember, and then act. Truth takes the form of careful speech, transparent institutions, and a refusal to dehumanize; love becomes bridge-building, restorative justice, and patient organizing. Robert J. Sampson’s Great American City (2012) shows how neighborhoods with high ‘collective efficacy’—trust plus mutual aid—sustain lower violence, hinting at the civic mechanics behind moral claims.
Thus, when despair returns, we rehearse the evidence and take the next faithful step. Over time, the way of truth and love does more than comfort—it compels history forward. [...]