 it was the best of times it was the worst of times it was the age of wisdom it was the age of foolishness it was the epoch of belief it was the epoch of incredulity it was the season of light it was the season of darkness it was the spring of hope it was the winter of despair we had everything before us we had nothing before us we were all going direct to heaven we were all going direct the other way c dickens g quon wrote there is a greater darkness than the one we fight it is the darkness of the soul that has lost its way the war we fight is not against powers and principalities it is against chaos and despair greater than the death of flesh is the death of hope the death of dreams against this peril we can never surrender the future is all around us waiting in moments of transition to be born in moments of revelation no one knows the shape of that future or where it will take us we know only that it is always born in pain jws 