When dark times come again… as dark times do…

And contempt…

And cynicism…

And prejudice…

Feel choking… and present… and personal…

We are tempted to believe that darkness is all there is…

We are tempted to believe that cruelty is all there is…

We are tempted to believe that hate has won…

But try to remember that… from the beginning …

We have been faced with those who have lost their compassion…

Lost their kindness…

Lost their hope…

Lost their way…

From the beginning, we have been faced with those who have lost their grace.

And – in so doing – try to annihilate ours…

It is not possible.

Across time…

Across cultures…

And across the globe…

Storms come…

And change the landscape for a time.

Storms come…

And try to make us believe that nothing exists but storm…

But we hold tight…

Together…

In our fear…

In our sorrow…

In our outrage…

We hold tight…

Together…

In our love…

In our courage…

And in our faith

We hold tight…

Together…

In our resolve.

And the storm consumes itself.

The darkness fades.

The skies clear.

And we endure.

Together.

We.

Endure.