Echoes of Now: Bearing Witness in a World Overwhelmed

Do you ever feel, like I do, that we’re living through a moment unlike any other in history? Maybe it's too much to call it "unprecedented," given the vastness of history, but it feels extraordinary, doesn’t it? There’s so much happening—within our own lives, across the world, and with the people we love. We’re caught in a whirlwind of constant information—the good, the bad, and the deeply painful—leaving us little time to actually feel or reflect on what’s unfolding around us.

In the past, historians, journalists, and witnesses to history captured the essence of their time. Thoreau once wrote, “October is the month of painted leaves… their rich glow now flashes round the world,” in 1862. I'm grateful to still experience those timeless things, the ones that endure. But now, in this world of shifting narratives and realities curated by algorithms, I wonder—what are we bearing witness to?

If we don’t slow down to process the moments we’re living, what kind of history will we leave behind? Who will write it, and what truths will remain? In a world where every story can be spun to suit an agenda, where do we find facts that aren’t just fragments, missing the fullness of context? And how, in this tangle of complexity, do we become trustworthy witnesses to the world we live in?

I find myself asking you: what are you bearing witness to, and how are you doing it and any tips on slowing down the information overload?