Come together

More often than not these days, I glance at newspaper headlines and recoil: these are troubling times for the human race. Whether rooted in political conflict, religious differences or economic inequalities, the divisions between us appear to be growing.

But how can we avoid adding to the negativity, without retreating into denial or complacency? It’s a question many of us are posing – particularly those of us who are inherently optimistic and more interested in what binds us. As the writer, Elizabeth Gilbert, said, quoting the poet Mark Nepo: ‘My efforts now turn from trying to outrun suffering to accepting love wherever I can find it.’ He – and she – are not the only ones.

The urge to experience communion and our shared humanity, or take meaningful action and to feel uplifted