Is the Darkness Winning?

The latest dispatches from the Land of Israel seem to indicate that the darkness is winning – within me, all around me, in the world at large.

When a writer and an artist have to put down their pen and their brush, respectively, to pick up their guns in the middle of the night and take their turn standing guard to protect their families, it seems the darkness is winning.

When a peace-loving, meditative poet has his dreams of utopian peace shattered by thoughts of hatred and fantasies of violent revenge, it seems the darkness is winning.

When a loving mother becomes frozen by trauma when she reads about atrocities committed against children in front of their parents, paralyzed by the anguish and nightmares, it seems the darkness is winning.

When we realize we have to reinforce the locks on our safe rooms and bomb shelters to protect us from getting attacked by our enemies when we seek refuge from their missiles, it seems the darkness is winning.

When the world’s leading media channels are quick to jump to conclusions when they suspect (or hope) Israel is at fault for an accidental bombing, but practice skepticism, urging caution and due diligence, when investigating its enemy’s clearly intentional atrocities, it seems the darkness is winning.

When the overflowing compassion of human rights activists becomes blocked when the victims happen to be Jewish, even when the violations committed against them are unmistakably demonic and unspeakably grotesque, it seems the darkness is winning.

When humanity and the international community continue to debate the justness of our cause, even when it is glaringly obvious, instead of rallying together to eradicate an evil that threatens us all, it seems the darkness is winning.

It seems the darkness is winning. But these challenges are making us stronger, more resilient. The light force within us is burning brighter. This light is burning away the anger that fuels it, healing the pain that channels it, pushing back against the darkness, slowly but surely, with tremendous commitment and resolve. Everywhere I look, I see unprecedented unity. Tidal waves of kindness and giving. In Israel, at least, love is in the air.

I worry more for those outside of Israel. Because here things are clear, and becoming more so. We know who our enemies are. We can defend ourselves. We can go on the offensive. We control, as much as possible for human beings, our own fate and destiny. Outside of Israel, people are sitting ducks who don’t even know where the next shot might come from. And there is no one to protect them, especially on university campuses, those supposed bastions of free speech and higher learning.

I take solace in all the good being done, and in the many incredible moments of inspiration and light. Like the goosebump-inducing scene greeting soldiers at the airport when they disembarked at 2am from flights returning them to Israel to join the fight – a crowd of young students, jumping up and down, waving flags, drumming energetically, belting out the song: “Fear not, Israel, fear not, for you are a lion cub. And when the lion roars, who will not fear, who will not fear?”

It seems the darkness is winning. But there is no such thing as darkness – only the absence of light. As we add more light, as much as we possibly can – by supporting and loving one another, speaking out, praying, doing kindness, adding good deeds – the darkness will wither and cower in fear until it is completely eliminated. I believe, with absolute certainty and complete faith, that the light will prevail, that this pain and darkness is a prelude to an unbelievable light to come.