How can we take power from the Herods of this world?
We have been here before.
Countless times.
Countless times over countless generations.
And still the old prophet tells us:
Herod destroys: Rachel weeps.
She weeps for her dead children. And no-one can comfort her.
And there are so many Herods.
Each day about 1,500 babies are born HIV positive because Elon Musk’s cuts to international aid have stopped their mothers’ medication.
As a whole his cuts to international aid are also killing about 103 people an hour all over the world. And most of them are children.
Meanwhile, the UK government is investing £1.5 billion in the construction of 6 new munitions factories.
In order to kill more children… but also, they say, to deter our enemies.
What they don’t seem to understand is that the carbon emissions created by the building of death factories will leave us open to the far greater devastations caused by the collapse of the climate .
Devastations against which we have no defence.
No defence, that is except international co-operation and the desire to work together for the common good of all humanity…
And that, still, is very present in the world. If we could disempower the Herods and muster the will to harness it.
It's intersting, that in Jewish teachings, during the 'Passover Sederv', it is customary to spill a drop of wine for each of the 'Ten Plagues' , symbolizing that even in moments of liberation, there is an acknowledgment of the suffering endured by others, even adversaries. This practice reflects a broader ethical principle in Jewish thought: joy should not be absolute when it comes at the expense of others. The slaughter of the innocent, particularly children is ni cause for celebration.
The Talmud, also contains a passage where God rebukes the angels for celebrating the drowning of the Egyptians in the Red Sea, saying, "My creatures are drowning in the sea, and you want to sing?". This story emphasizes divine compassion, suggesting that even those who opposed Israel were still God's creations, and their suffering should not be a cause for unrestrained celebration, a point entirely lost on those prosecuting a criminal war in Gaza
These traditions highlight a nuanced perspective on justice and mercy, acknowledging the complexity of historical events and their human cost. They serve as reminders that victory should not come at the expense of empathy.