Let There Be Light!
Tomorrow begins the cycle of reading the Torah from the beginning.
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was unformed and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw the light that it was good, and God separated the light from the darkness.” (Genesis 13 1-4). For over 35 years, I’ve started my mornings with reading daily portions from the Torah, and each day I find something new that I did not realize before. For example, to whom God is talking about manifesting light and announcing that the light is good? And what about the separation between the light and the darkness? Since the purpose of the creation was to make the world ready for the first humans, Adam and Eve and their descendants, perhaps God was addressing the modern humans in his message. We are living in a time surrounded by a lot of darkness. Can we separate it from the light, or do we need God’s help?
Between the 2020 General Election, the Coronavirus, fires, unemployment and so many other personal issues, which are greatly multiplied by media outlets, it is very difficult to see the light and the good. This was the reason why on Columbus Day, I decided to venture to Downtown San Francisco. I have not been there since March. Before the Corona virus, I would go there once a week for a networking meeting, and on the weekends with my camera. I love our city and its people and wanted to see for myself what is going on. Of course, I knew about the changes due to the Coronavirus; the lack of office workers and tourists, whose place was taken up by tents of the homeless people.
Nevertheless, I also know that while focusing on finding light – it is already there.
I met an old friend on Sutter Street, who is a doctor, and whose clinic was in the neighborhood. He never stopped working and witnessed how Downtown had become crippled with darkness. He pointed out on the windows of the Leica photo store covered with plywood. I remarked, “Covid”. “No”, he said, “Black Lives Matter”. The note on the plywood covering the door stated, “Unauthorized Entry Will be Met with Armed Response.”
I agreed with him that the city had changed. However, being an optimist, and a believer in the light and good, I know that this shall also pass. Perhaps there is a need to change the city’s leadership (in the 13th century, the poet Rumi wrote, “Fish begins to stink at the head”). But the lack of traffic allowed for some repair work to be done. I saw tourists by the gate to Chinatown, and a few stores had “We are Open” signs written on the plywood. I went to Belden Lane to have lunch at Tiramisu Restaurant and had a great ice cream at Amarino Gelato. Obviously, our city has boils on its body, but gradually the fuss will get out and the body will heal, and our city will be filled with the light (and people) again.
P.S. The word “photography” means drawing with the light. I use the light to share with you four images, which show the signs of normality.
Enjoy and Share!
