This poem by Yehuda Amichai was shared with me recently. It provided me with inspiration and hope for a time when love would be victorious over hate. It teaches me to open my heart to the suffering I see around the world on a daily basis. Most importantly, ask two questions. First, how have I contributed to the suffering? Second, what actions can I take to relieve the suffering?

I trust you derive hope and inspiration from Amichai’s poem in the same way I did.

Beyond all this, some great love is happening.

Beyond all this, some great love is happening.
In the streets and in the houses,
In the hearts of men and women,
In the quiet spaces between words,
In the silence between wars,
In the pauses of grief,
And the moments when we think we've lost it all.
Beyond the world of time and place,
Beyond the sorrow and the rage,
Beyond the answers and the questions,
Some great love is happening.
It’s happening here,
It’s happening now,
It’s happening forever.
We are part of it,
We are embraced by it,
We are, in our most vulnerable moments,
In its embrace.

We live in turbulent and uncertain times. There are voices crying out for societal transformation. They hinge on new ways of thinking about our humanity and how we treat one another and our planet. Meanwhile, other voices pierce the public commons. They further the division, seed violent rhetoric, and ignore the degradation of our planetary home.

We must amplify the voices that call out for loving and respecting one another. Voices like Yehuda Amichai, and many others. It is happening here and there, right now. Yes, we are part of it. We can’t take it for granted and must get involved amplifying the loving and empathetic voices. I believe love is more powerful than hate.