I'm sure that is a reason why young people occasionally bash up old people - because the ages don't mix any more.
I had a longing for ritual, something I could cling to, a routine to make me feel well and contented. I hoped that reading Bible commentaries and theological critiques would nudge me closer to some kind of absolute that I could hold up as a torch to light my way.
I'm perplexed, though, by your application of the term 'negative' to my figural imagery.