Ten Modern Plagues
Each year we try to wrap our heads around this part of the Passover story. We are not only struck by the cruelty of the plagues, but the nature and substance of the punishments also seem to be a bit out of our reach. Were these miracles brought about by [god]? What a strange combination of punishments, which came about as miraculously as they departed. Today, we are living amongst ‘miracles’ in the eyes of those who came before us. Most of us don’t think twice about our easy access to clean, safe water. But any historical account of urban centers from just 100 years ago, describe the unbearable filth and stench on the streets. New York, London and Paris were all centers of infectious disease and child death rates were as high then as they are now in much of Sub-Saharan Africa. It was sweeping reforms in water and sanitation that enabled the progress we take for granted today. We are living the miracle. Though most Americans now have unlimited access to clean water, globally more than 3.5 million people die each year from water-related disease; 84 percent are children. Investments and technologies are (slowly) bringing the clean water miracle to more remote and poor communities, but there’s a long way to go. Think about what plagues us today, about the ecological degradation of our environment that feels so out of control, that we cry out for miraculous solutions. What are ten situations for which you pray for a miracle? Here is a starter list to get you thinking and discussing. Perhaps if we all dedicate ourselves to causes we care deeply about, we will be capable of removing some of these plagues, inventing solutions to manage others, and witnessing “miracles” in our own time. Drought, Tsunamis, Global Warming, Pollution, Floods, Earthquakes, Acid Rain, Depletion of the Ozone Layer, Destruction of the Rain Forests, Loss of Biodiversity, Pesticides, Chemical Fertilizers, Nuclear Radiation, Water crisis, Glaciers Melting, Seacoasts Rising, Spread of Infectious Diseases, Famine, Deforestation/erosion, Bedbugs, Tornadoes, Space Litter, Landmines
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