I know we are living through a bleak time, but how we conduct ourselves in times like this can be a lantern in the window of a confused humankind. This possibility should give us hope and purpose.The greatest sages and prophets speak long before their cause has any chance of success. They give their lives preparing the soil for those who are yet to come. They do not have to wait for the dawn to arrive before they can live meaningfully and joyfully. They are living in the light of a beloved community yet to be.How much do we owe to those who shone their little light long before anyone else could see the dawn to which they referred? How many of humanity’s most important teachers lived through a life long series of defeats that illumined the possibility of a better way?It is no small thing to speak your truth in a time of propaganda and misinformation. It is no small thing to seek the common good when humanity has broken down into warring tribes. It is no small thing to live in joy, not because one has arrived at the beloved community, but because one realizes the incredible importance of walking a noble though lightless path into a new and better day.