The World We Wish to Build
As this new secular year begins, I know that many of us are feeling some trepidation about the world around us. What is the future of the conflicts across the globe, and how will they affect us, both here and in Israel? What will the future of our democracy look like? What will health care, Social Security, and immigration policies become? What will life look like a year from now?
The truth is, we never know what the future will hold. The only certainty is that things constantly change. As we start a new year, I often reflect on what we, as a Jewish community, can do to help guide that change toward a world that reflects our Jewish values—values that include kindness and humility, peace and prosperity, and care and concern for the most vulnerable among us.
In the face of so much uncertainty, there may be a temptation to retreat into our own safe corners of the world. But as Jews, we are commanded to see the world not as it is, but as it could be—to always have hope for a better tomorrow and the courage to work toward making that world a reality.
How we face tomorrow will shape the future we wish to see. We must never yield that world to those who pursue destructive or divisive goals. Instead, we need to reflect the world God calls us to create. We will never be able to help the vulnerable if we ourselves are not willing to be vulnerable and take risks for the sake of others. We will never be able to mend the tribal divisions in society if we don’t engage with others. We will never see justice flow like a mighty stream if we don’t speak truth to power and fight for what is right.
While we can’t know what the future holds, I firmly believe that if we face uncertainty together, we can strive to make the world a little better because we were in it, looking out for one another.
