by Jerric Chong

Behold, how good and joyful a thing it is: brethren, to dwell together in unity!

Psalm 113:1

As I write this, Sam Ryder has just given the UK our best result in twenty years at the Eurovision Song Contest: a goodly 466 points to finish in second place. The victorious act (most deservedly, it must be admitted) was Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra, who delivered a captivating folk-rap performance that convinced swathes of the voting populace to unite and back them in vast numbers, and all this while their country valiantly defends its sovereign territory in the face of immense national tribulation.

Unity, therefore, has decisively triumphed at Eurovision, despite the vain efforts of foreign aggression to divide. And unity is now more paramount than ever: in a time of intensifying discord pervading culture, politics and society, only a united, multilateral front can ably respond to the global issues looming large on the horizon.

How, then, could such unity look like? Perhaps some ideas may be found in this issue’s contributions. Within you’ll find exhortations for allied factions and cutlerian sects to unite, and its importance in the wake of victory on the battlefield and the shenanigans of household utensils, respectively. Unity might also be discovered in the mutual personhood recognised in the eyes of another, here on a solitary planet in a vast cosmos. Or maybe we can find solace in our shared, united experience as Oxford students: perpetually overtaxed and caffeinated, with a plethora of deadlines to catch and expectations to fulfil.

But as summer beckons and many of us prepare to leave for future things, let us not forget that unity ultimately begins with ourselves – as the psalmist proclaims, what better feeling is there than to live at peace with those around you?