Messianic Age: God will redeem Israel and establish His kingship over all the earth.  There will be no war and no want, no struggle and no strife.  Righteousness will prevail and eternal peace and prosperity will be the lot of all good people.

     ----The Second Jewish Book Of Why 

There is an image that plays over and over in my mind.  I see a four year old boy, a child in the preschool class that I teach.  He wanted to be chosen line leader, but his name was not picked.  He throws himself onto the rug, fists and feet pounding the floor, sobbing, and screams, "It's not fair, it's not fair."  My co-teacher Susan looks at me and I know her thoughts.  Just wait, her expression is saying, you're just starting out on the "it's not fair" road.

Later, after the children have left with moms and au pairs and car pool drivers, Susan and I sit on child-sized chairs, open our yogurt containers, and reflect on the morning.  "He's right, you know," says Susan.  She goes on to explain.  "I see life as having three levels of unfairness.  There's the little things like being in line at the market.  The next aisle opens up and the person behind you dashes over before you can.  Then there's the second level, like not having enough money to pay your bills.  At the top are things like illness, accidents, abuse."

I nod in response and share my own thoughts.  "Just open a newspaper," I tell Susan.  "This morning I read an article about a young woman who had been very ill while stationed in Iraq during the war.  Now back in the States she is having trouble getting medical treatment."  We pass examples back and forth like a ping pong ball being whacked over a net.  "Well," I conclude, pushing myself up from the chair, "you just have to play the hand you're dealt as best you can."

A few days later I return to the subject, this time seated over coffee and bagels with my friends Karen and Rene.  "What if we lived in a perfect world? I ask them.  "A Messianic age?  How would you describe a world where life is fair?"  My friends contemplate my question, sip coffee, spread cream cheese and jelly on bagels.  Karen responds first.  "In a fair world," she says, "there would be compromise.  If people could talk out their problems and felt that there was equality, they would feel content."  Rene picks up on the idea of equality, telling us that in a fair world everybody would have food, clothes, the comforts of life."  For the next few minutes we are silent, reflecting.

Driving home, the voice in my head continues the conversation.  A fair world, I think, would be one without suffering and pain.  I can almost hear Nat King Cole singing, "What a wonderful world that would be."

A few more days pass.  I am back in my classroom.  We are at circle time and helpers are being picked.  My little friend, the one of pound the floor fame, is beaming.  Luck of the draw, his name has been chosen.  For today at least, for him, life is fair.

By Diane Snyder

Diane Snyder recently retired from a long career as a pre-kindergarten teacher at the Jewish Community Center in Stoughton.  She now puts all of her energy into writing.