Zeitgeist

 Just a few days to Christmas is a beautiful time of year, and in 2025 we are blessed to be living through one of the most interesting periods in history. When we think of the Zeitgeist we are looking at how people feel about the present time and how to describe it for posterity. There are so many conflicting narratives at present that few will agree on a description that can encompass them all. I choose to believe in a wonderful future that is currently on its way just as the fields look barren in the heart of winter but below ground life is returning.

It is easy to search for invisible enemies and become suspicious or hyper vigilant at events occurring. But although there has always been trickery and deceit in the world, it is also a very beautiful place and we can choose to live in fear or to celebrate love, beauty and peace. To me it’s a no-brainer. It is almost one hundred years since Max Ehrmann penned his famous ‘Desiderata’, with its very similar sentiment – ‘do not distress yourself with dark imaginings’. He also told us to – ‘Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth’ This is difficult and I find myself leaning toward the words attributed to St Augustine - ‘Give me chastity and continence, but not yet’. Actually, give me continence right now.

The last five years have seen some of the greatest upheavals in history and we have been lied to on a massive scale and with potentially deadly outcomes. It’s very hard to admit to mistakes and so errors can be self-sustaining, reinforcing Mark Twain’s saying ‘It’s easier to fool someone than to tell them they’ve been fooled’. But beyond an understandable effort to save face we are increasingly being presented with pathological stupidity. As they say - ‘It’s a sure sign of madness to do what you’ve always done and expect a different result’. We are being herded into a belief that just one more jab will give us the lifelong protection we need, that we can vote in a compassionate government, that we can believe what we’re told on the TV. Were we ever told the truth?

There are two constants in life that we can be sure of – Change and the Love of God. As we approach Christmas we are invited to achieve calm in our hearts and turn our minds to peace. 2026 will bring its own challenges but for now it is everything to quiet the mind and to live the story of the Holy Family. When enough of us decide to live in peace, then wars and rumours of wars will cease. We will also be able to devote our efforts to repairing the damage we have done to our health and our planet.

Peace be with you.