And darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the spirit of G-d hovered over the face of the waters. And G-d said: Let there be light.

   It is perhaps one of the most unsettling axioms of Creation that before there is light, there is darkness. For there to be forward movement, there is movement backward. The archer, to advance his arrow, pulls back his bow. The climber, to step up to the next rung on the ladder, steps off the current rung and hangs in limbo before attaining a higher level.

   Some say the world has never been darker: crime is rampant, sexual perversion is glorified, sick behavior is more open than ever, child abuse and terrorism abound.

   But others say times have never been more promising: religious freedom is at an all-time high, tyranny is on its last legs, and the search for meaning has become a universal quest.

   Sandwiched among disturbing reports of terrorist bombings and cult suicides, we have seen a startling influx of ethical and spiritual values in the media the past few years. The covers of the major national weekly magazines reflect the unprecedented national preoccupation with spiritual themes: G-d, the Power of Prayer, Spiritual Healing, Angels, Faith, and Charity. The conservative '50's, the psychedelic '60's, the Yuppie '70's, or the greedy '80's would not have focused on these things. But this is the spiritual revolution of the '90's.

   Recently one of the most liberal national magazines printed a cover story about intermarriage. In our melting pot culture, where everything goes and differences and separation are contrary to the philosophy on which this country was based, the article's shocking thesis is that intermarriage is unfair and confusing to children.

   Ted Turner, media mogul and billionaire, makes the front cover of Newsweek for his $1 billion gift to the United Nations. Regardless of his motives or personal gain, his action sparks a six-page story on charity: who gives, how much they give, the power of giving and why each and every one of us should give.

The media could have covered Princess Diana's tragic death from many angles: her beauty, her charisma, her wardrobe, her romantic dalliances. But it focuses instead on her charity and acts of kindness. While "nice" is death to magazine sales, the media transcends its cutthroat image and shows it has a heart. Her charity spurs others to do the same. Pop star Elton John gives the proceeds ($34 million) of his musical tribute to her to charity. The original manuscript of the song's lyrics are auctioned off by Christie's, and the proceeds are donated to the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles. Tzeddakah goes mainstream.

   During the ninth plague in Egypt, the darkness gave the Jews the opportunity to uncover the great wealth that G-d had in store for them. When we find ourselves in darkness, we should not despair, but renew our hope for what's sure to come. Let all the darkness of this generation show itself to be nothing more than a preparation for the ultimate light: the rebuilding of the Beis HaMikdash in Yerushalayim with Moshiach.

Rochel Chana Schilder