Eureka Street

Keywords: Present

RELIGION

On 'getting' the synod
- Richard Lennan
- 19 December 2024
Is the synod a parliament, a shareholder meeting, or something wholly unique? How we frame it shapes our understanding of its purpose and outcomes. Beyond analogies, could the true essence of synodality lie in embracing grace and discernment, re-centering the church on its divine mission?
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AUSTRALIA

Falling, flying and the weight of the world
- Barry Gittins
- 18 December 2024
As airports swell with holiday travellers chasing far-flung reunions and tropical getaways, a paradox looms above the tarmac: while we demand action on climate change, few are ready to ground themselves. Flight represents humanity’s defiance of limits — an act of freedom, wonder, and consequence. Can we balance soaring ambitions with planetary survival?
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AUSTRALIA

The delight and discomfort of undeserved gifts
- Emma Wilkins
- 18 December 2024
Gift-giving should be a celebration of kindness, but modern rituals often entangle us in obligation and excess. From generous neighbours to Christmas present hauls, reciprocal gifts build and shape our relationships. But what does it mean to give without strings?
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INTERNATIONAL

Friendship in freefall: Unpacking a crisis of civic disconnection
- David Halliday
- 13 December 2024
In 2024, a fifth of Americans reported having no close friends, and the number is growing, especially among those without college degrees. So what are the societal structures behind this crisis in loneliness, and how we can rebuild meaningful connections?
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RELIGION

A controversial graduation address
- Bill Uren
- 11 December 2024
A contentious graduation speech at Australian Catholic University laid bare divisions between traditional Catholic values and modern sensibilities. The backlash, marked by audience walkouts, underscores broader challenges facing the Church.
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ARTS AND CULTURE

Humankind cannot bear very much reality
- Juliette Hughes
- 05 December 2024
From reality TV’s contrived narratives to global news shaped by biases, we rarely consume truth unfiltered. Why does raw reality feel unbearable — and how does this shape our lives?
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AUSTRALIA

Offshore people dumping by a spooked government
- Frank Brennan
- 04 December 2024
1 Comment
When High Court rulings challenge government policy, they usually prompt reflection and refinement. But for the Federal Government, a recent decision on non-citizen rights has sparked a legislative overreach, mirroring the Opposition’s hardline stance.
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AUSTRALIA

Housing is a human right. It's time it became law
- Kevin Bell
- 29 November 2024
2 Comments
With unaffordable housing pushing families into impossible choices, homelessness affecting 120,000 people, and systemic inequities deepening, we must ask: What kind of society do we want to build — and for whom?
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ENVIRONMENT

On worldbuilding
- Michael McVeigh
- 28 November 2024
Following an underwhelming COP29 climate summit, many are grappling with a collective climate despair in light of sobering news that the 1.5-degree warming target is no longer achievable. How should we confront such a reality while working to build a better, more sustainable world with a sense of hope?
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AUSTRALIA

The spirituality of KFC
- Michael McGirr
- 22 November 2024
3 Comments
There’s this other place that is neither heaven nor earth but which you might find in the car park of the third busiest KFC in Melbourne, waiting for your son to finish his shift. A bin beside the car is overflowing with all the packaging that comes with fast food, not to mention the remains of poor dead chooks whose life it is hard to imagine.
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INTERNATIONAL

Don Watson's elegy for an imperfect union
- Barry Gittins
- 22 November 2024
1 Comment
Before the U.S. election, Don Watson predicted the electoral victory of Trump in his essay High Noon, an exploration of a divided America teetering on the edge. Dissecting the economic, racial, and cultural forces that led to a Republican landslide reveals an imperfect union at its most vulnerable.
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ARTS AND CULTURE

A guitar that sings to the universe
- Warwick McFadyen
- 21 November 2024
David Gilmour’s latest album, Luck and Strange, emerges as a meditative masterpiece, steeped in themes of time, mortality, and the currents of life. With Gilmour’s unmistakable playing style, the album channels the introspection of an artist reflecting on paths taken and those left behind.
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Keywords: Present