Blog Posts

These are heavy times for many people. In nearly every meeting I attend, I hear stories of fear, pain, and the erosion of love for our neighbors. People see communities retreating inward, turning away from the shared responsibility to care for one another. I have heard: This list came easily. We all could add to…

Last week I spoke about some of the inner resources and strategic approaches we need to sustain long-term work on the big challenge of social isolation. I want to wrap up this reflection on responses by talking about the central tactics of Paths to Understanding’s work. We are aiming to create a cohesive set of…

Over the next few weeks, I want to move from talking about the problem – (individual) loneliness and (group) isolation in our country – to looking at solutions. What can we – Paths to Understanding, local leaders, ordinary citizens – do to respond to this challenge? And importantly, how do we go about responding in…

In my last couple blog posts, I talked about how existing community groups like churches and service organizations might be our best hope for addressing the dual crises of (individual) loneliness and (group) isolation in our country. Upon further reflection, I realized it’s important to delve deeper into how we’ve reached our current state before…

In today’s society, many people are experiencing a profound sense of loneliness and a lack of community. This growing isolation has been recognized as a significant public health concern, with experts highlighting its impact on mental and physical well-being.  I recall sitting with a man who had spent his life managing a large international company.…

(This is the first of three articles in a series.) To function well for its citizens, our society needs three major assets, according to Jonathan Haidt and other experts: About 75% of Americans are worried about the state of our democracy. Robert Putnam says our social capital is at a one-hundred-year low. At the same…