Let’s do an experiment. 

Open the News App on your phone. What do you see? 

On January 20, 2023 (the day I write this), I see the an article from People Magazine that features the article, “Disneyland Employees Accused at Laughing at Disabled Woman Before Injury that Lead to Her Death.” The next headline I notice is, “A New bill could fine you $1,500…for using correct pronouns for their transgender colleagues or students.” After some more news on the latest Kardashian kerfuffle (I skipped that one), and then seeing one on “The World’s Oldest Living Dog” (I clicked there), I stop at a CNN post: “San Francisco Art Gallery Owner Arrested After Spraying Water on Homeless Person.” Finally, the Atlantic shares the results of the “Longest Study on Human Happiness Found the Key to What a Good Life Is.” The findings: “Deep well-nurtured relationships are the answer,” but this is juxtaposed with “the average American in 2018 spent 11 hours every day on solitary activities such as watching television […] and interacting with media.” 

Did you find similar results? 

Perhaps, you found yourself questioning, where have words like “community,” “connection,” “compassion,” and “empathy” have gone? Are they simply replaced with “I, me, and mine?” Or is it something deeper? 

So let’s dig deeper.

In 2021, Harvard University found “Americans value caring, and are engaged in caring acts;” however, “most Americans don’t have substantial concern for people who are different from them in terms of race, ethnicity, and religion,” — amongst a host of other perceived differences. This study also shared “Americans are far more likely to prioritize their own happiness over caring for others, and they’re far more invested in cultivating their children’s happiness than their children’s caring for others.” And even with all of this information, “73% of Americans believe that society would be better if people were more empathetic.” 

I am guessing none of this information surprises you. Still, I find myself questioning where this “73% belief” unfolds into direct action and connection. 

The purpose of our next Thursday Night Series is to foster the skills of empathy, compassion, and connection — as well as to take this call to develop and practice empathy to heart. It will expose its participants to individuals in our community with diverse backgrounds, as well as bring a human face to experiences we may or may not have encountered before: 

• What is it like to live with cancer? 
• What does it mean to struggle with and survive an eating disorder? 
• How does someone navigate being transgender and a veteran? 
• How can we advocate for LGBTQ+ youth? 
• How can ordinary people hold the suffering and atrocities of the Holocaust in their hearts, and still enter into the world with love and equanimity? 
• What does it look like to be a member of the homeless community here in Asheville? 

Classes are on Thursday evenings from 7:00-9:00 PM and will be hosted on Zoom: 

• Thursday, February 9:  Introduction to the Psychology and Spirituality of Empathy and Connection
• Thursday, February 16: Coming to Terms with Cancer — Speaker: Karen Lasker 
• Thursday, February 23: Living (and Surviving) with an Eating Disorder — Speaker: Jenny Schug
• Thursday, March 2: Supporting Transgender Veterans and LGBTQ+ Youth — Speaker: Giovonni Santiago 
• Thursday, March 9: The Holocaust and Music — Speaker: Dr. Kellie Brown 
• Thursday, March 30: Homeless in Asheville — Speaker: Jean DeLau
• Thursday, April 6: Application to Spiritual Practice (Strengths, Struggles, and Going Forth)

Each class/topic will have readings and/or videos for you to watch prior to participation. The course materials are provided free of charge.