On a Wednesday, between the rains, a family took their long-awaited baby girl to the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray in the world.

They waited years for this baby — their first, this sweet girl, three months old.

Can you imagine their joy? This beloved baby in their arms lifted up, up, up to touch the ancient stone? Can you imagine their joy? This beloved baby, a link to the future of the Jewish people?

And then…

On the way home, a man plowed into a crowd of people waiting at a light rail station — a crowd of people just wanting to go home, or get coffee, or pick up groceries before the Shabbat rush. A man that Israel says has ties to Hamas, he stepped on the gas, his foot hard on the accelerator, straight for the crowd of people, old and young.

This family was part of that crowd.

Can you imagine their horror? The grandfather clutching the baby, surely it can’t be happening, — WAKE UP WAKE UP, surely it’s only a dream — surely this car will stop before it …….

It didn’t stop.

Can you imagine their horror? The screams and then the silence…

A baby girl is dead.

Her family is shattered.

Meanwhile, international media reports that “Israeli police shot an E. Jerusalem man.” (AP may have changed the headline, but the url exists forever and ever.)

I kind of hate the world right now.

Let’s all light a candle. It’s really dark here.