In Genesis 4, the first son of Adam and Eve, Cain, murders his brother, Abel. In verse 16 we read; “Then Cain went away from the presence of the LORD and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.” Our headlines this week follow the same script: “Mali declares three days of national mourning for massacre victims” (Aljazeera); “Hong Kong shutters government offices as protests over China extradition bill turn violent” (The Globe and Mail); “Inside the elementary school where addiction sets the curriculum” (The New York Times). Why do we continue to live east of Eden?