You may still be wondering why we must experience birth pangs in order for Messiah to come.
The Messianic period will be very much like Shalosh Seudos, when we sit around the table not mainly to eat or to glory in our materialistic achievements, but to celebrate our spiritual attainments. In order for this to happen, we will have to divest ourselves of all the icons we hold dear. Therefore, our hallowed institutions, the bastions of strength in which we placed our trust, will have to fall away. It is that painful disintegration we are witness to today.
The corporate world, government, religious institutions, science, medicine – all have failed us. We no longer feel safe or secure in our daily lives. Terrorism has become a reality of our existence and no army or police force is capable of shielding us from it. Shorn of all our defenses, we stand vulnerable and terrified and wonder what life is all about as we see our idols crumble before our very eyes.
Tragically, it never occurs to us that Hashem is calling us. His message is loud and clear, so let us seize the moment and return to Him before the fire becomes an inferno that could, chas v’shalom, consume us all.
How long will these birth pangs last? Until we come to recognize the simple truth that we can rely on no one but Avinu She’bashamayim – our Heavenly Father. So let us sound the shofar, awaken ourselves from our lethargy, and heed the voice of our Father calling us.