Meeting this Moment: Part Three

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…

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Meeting the Moment: Part 2

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.…

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Meeting This Moment: Part One

(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…

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Ripple Effects

Tom Friedman argues that humanity is currently facing two immense challenges: These forces are reshaping our world at an overwhelming pace, creating deep anxiety for many. However, I believe he overlooks a third critical challenge: the loneliness of individuals and the isolation of groups. Individual loneliness has become both a public health and mental health…

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Complication of Affiliation

In a 2018 interview with a progressive radio station in Spokane, I was asked if there was islamophobia on the left. It was a thoughtful question and one that took courage to ask. I respected that. Part of my response was to acknowledge that there is, indeed, some anti-religious bigotry in the United States. Some…

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