Jacinda Ardern declared the Christchurch attacker nameless, embodying our desire to erase those who harm us. But if her compassionate “they are us” extends to victims, what happens when we apply that same lens to perpetrators? The question unsettles our moral categories profoundly.

As Leonard Cohen sang, “there’s a crack in everything — that’s how the light gets in.” The fall of a prince, like the fall of prophets before him, reminds us that grace hides in uncomfortable places — even behind prison walls or royal façades.

Bach’s Goldberg Variations stirred unexpected reflections on justice, war, and the chaos of public discourse. The music became a mirror for inner conflict, revealing how struggles for justice may sometimes mask deeper personal unrest.

Religious decline in secular democracies was predicted over a decade ago. Dr Richard Weiner noted that survival depends on “status or utility”—a cultural relevance that many faiths are losing. Without it, belief systems struggle to persist in the public sphere.

Michelangelo’s Creation scene shows Adam, exposed and hesitant, his hand extended but never quite touching God’s. That gap between them — always present — says more than connection ever could.