Come (Bo 5785)

Darkness
was the ninth 
plague 
For the Egyptians
it preceded unimaginable suffering and
          devestation
The death of so many beloved children
But for us
          for the Israelites
darkness preceded salvation
Freedom

The darkness
wasn’t just an absence of light
it was an absence of hope
A physical and spiritual manifestation,
          we are taught
And so it seems
perhaps
that what we do 
          in the darkness
is what makes all the difference

If we succumb to despair
we lose 
what is most precious to us
But if we can hold onto hope 
that even the most frightening of dark times
          WILL END
If we can find faith
          in something
          in anything
          in God
          in ourselves
          in one another
(Or dare I say it)
          in humanity
Then 
          only then
does the darkness begin to lift

Come
There is only one way through
and that is 
          together
guided by love and acceptance,
by compassion and understanding
These are what will light
          the way
These are what make the difference

Devastation or Freedom,
the choice is ours.