by Kathy Kaplan OAM, Jewish faith and member of Interfaith Network Executive Committee
Life today is challenging.
Life today is definitely filled with uncertainty and finding hope can sometimes feel like searching for light in the darkness.
In the biblical story of creation shared by all the Abrahamic faith communities, light is the very first thing brought into being.
In Hebrew, the word for light is ‘or’.
The mystics teach that this light was not physical illumination – after all, our creation stories tell us the sun, moon and stars were not created till Day 4 – but was the potential for goodness, love and renewal that exists within every person.
Even when darkness seems overwhelming, the presence of the divine spark within us means that we each carry a source of light that can never be extinguished.
Hope, therefore, is not passive.
Hope is a choice.
We can choose to see the light in ourselves and in others, even if and when shadows loom large.
Hope is in the small acts of kindness we display, the moments of connection we make and the willingness we have to believe that tomorrow can be better than today.
In the Mishnah, a collection of Jewish oral laws compiled by Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi around 200 CE, we read, ‘Whoever saves one life, it is as if they have saved an entire world’.
This profound teaching emphasises the value of every individual life, underscoring the belief that every single person carries a world of potential within them.
The corollary of that fundamental belief is that every action we take, no matter how small, holds the potential to create ripples of change.
Hope also connects us to each other.
When we support and uplift those around us, we create a network of light that can overcome even the deepest darkness.
In a world that often feels divided, we each have the power to be bridges, to offer compassion and to build a sense of unity.
May we all find the courage to be bearers of hope.
May we all know that even the smallest light can pierce the deepest darkness.
And may our collective efforts bring healing, renewal and peace to our world.
Enquiries regarding the Interfaith Network, City of Greater Dandenong at administration@interfaithnetwork.org.au or 8774 7662.
Visit – interfaithnetwork.org.au/
