I’m a devout agnostic. But, like Nick Cave, I hunger for meaning in our chaotic world | John Harris
The spiritual aridity of modern life can be tough to handle. Maybe that’s why the singer, and his new album Wild God, have struck a chord
There is a tension in 21st-century life that may come close to defining how millions of us now live. Whenever we want to commune with other people, we need only reach for an object the size of a Twix and there they all are: scores of acquaintances and a veritable galaxy of complete strangers, offering insights and opinions on a huge range of subjects. But our online lives too often revolve around a mixture of anger, silliness and superficiality.
Where do we go and who can we find to meaningfully share our thoughts about life’s inescapable fundamentals: love, loss, death, fear, bereavement, regret? To properly do so might require real-world company, which can be an equally big ask. Think about all this, and you will sooner or later collide with something that predates the internet: the long and steady secularisation of life in the west and the vast social holes it has left. Once, for all their in-built hypocrisies – and worse – churches at least offered somewhere to ritualistically consider all of life’s most elemental aspects. Now, beyond communities with high levels of Christian observance, they are largely either empty or woefully underattended.
John Harris is a Guardian columnist
Continue reading...Date: |
-
MarketWatch - Business
‘I’d like to do it myself’: Where do I invest $50,000 as the Fed will cut interest rates? I’m 38 and have a high risk tolerance.
The U.S. Federal Reserve is expected to cut the benchmark rate on Wednesday.3 hours ago -
CNBC - Business
What a Fed rate cut could mean for the world
From currencies and commodities; equities to bonds — global markets are braced for the first rate cut by the Federal Reserve this week.12 hours ago - Federal Reserve -
Wired - Tech
‘I Told Him I’m Not Getting in It’: Former Titan Submersible Engineer Testifies
The US Coast Guard’s OceanGate hearings started Monday with some startling revelations—including the last messages from the passengers.Yesterday -
The Guardian - World
‘Our vote means next to nothing’: optimism of young Scottish yes supporters fades 10 years on
Young people’s support for independence has increased since 2014 but some see a ‘real lack of trust’ in politicians. Steven Campbell was 17 and still a high school pupil during the Scottish ...Yesterday -
CBS News - Top stories
World War I memorial unveiled in Washington, D.C.
A new World War I memorial paying tribute to the 4.7 million Americans who served in the military during the war has been unveiled in Washington, D.C. The memorial's centerpiece is a 60-foot long ...18 hours ago -
CBS News - Top stories
"I am a rapist, like the others in this room," Frenchman tells court
"She did not deserve this," Gisele Pelicot's ex-husband says at his trial in France, admitting to drugging and raping her and inviting other men to join in.Yesterday
More from The Guardian
-
The Guardian - World
Nine killed and hundreds injured in latest Lebanon blasts; Israel declares ‘new phase’ of war – Middle East live
Health ministry says at least 300 injured after walkie-talkies explode; Yoav Gallant does not mention explosions but praises Israel’s army and security agencies for ‘very impressive’ results. Local ...15 minutes ago -
The Guardian - World
‘Sophisticated evil’: Beirut medics and civilians horrified by pager attacks
People describe panic when explosions started and ‘apocalyptic’ scenes inside hospitals overwhelmed by injured patients. Middle East crisis – latest news updates Two beeps and a pause was the ...1 hour ago -
The Guardian - World
Hezbollah pagers: what do we know about how the attack happened?
What sources are saying about the techniques behind the simultaneous explosion of thousands of devices. Analysis: Exploding pager attack in Lebanon is another blow for US peace hopes In an ...3 hours ago -
The Guardian - World
Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira: murder charge dropped against one of three suspects
Activists greet decision over killings of British journalist and Brazilian Indigenous expert with ‘indignation’. Appeal judges in Brazil yesterday upheld charges against only two of the three men ...2 hours ago -
The Guardian - World
More than 100 ex-Republican officials call Trump ‘unfit to serve’ and endorse Harris
In recent weeks, a handful of Republicans have crossed party lines to endorse Democratic presidential candidate. More than 100 Republican former national security and foreign policy officials on ...37 minutes ago - Donald Trump