Squeezing Hope from Despair

For those of us attuned to the news, the past few days have been gut-wrenching. And it’s getting worse as the Israel Hamas War continues. More pictures, more stories, more tears and more anger.

But as an American, I am shielded from the worst. Yes, I cringe and am angry when I see Pro-Palestinian protests across the country, and am in shock at the obtuseness of academicians who have lost all sense of moral clarity.

Yet, what fills me up with hope is thinking that just days ago, Israel was divided across political lines with marches and rallies tearing the country apart. There was violence and hate among each other. Hard to believe.

But now, that’s a distant memory. Israelis are part of the same cause. All are united as one entity, as it should be. Am Yisrael. One Nation.

We are similarly divided. Our own country can’t get behind our President in a response to the madness and show of support for a country that’s been ravaged.

So what can we, as Americans learn from this? What good can we squeeze out from this? God forbid that we would need a war to unite us. But I’ve heard it said that we are headed to a Civil War of sorts, a violent one. And I fear that only a catastrophic episode will get everyone on the same page. We’ve seen it over and over….the worst tragedies bring people together, wildfires, hurricanes, drought—-all are able to have people put their lives in proper perspective when it comes down to issues of survival.

Will only a catastrophe trigger a united response? Is this what it means to wait for the Mashiach? [Messiah] Will things have to get so bad before they get better? Are we in for times that will be even more horrifying? More inhumane?

We have the luxury, yes, the luxury of time. Here, we aren’t ducking from sirens or running for our lives, witnessing death at every turn. So what will it take? What will change things from reeling toward more evil and destruction?

I have to be hopeful. I am Jewish and therefore, optimism is built into my DNA. I believe in the Good. This week, we read from the Torah in Genesis that the first evaluative statement about our world is “Good”.

Perhaps enough people will become tired of the helplessness and despair and want to set a different course, toward the moral, toward the Good, toward Life.