Friends,
I've done a LOT of grieving in the last few years. I imagine many of you have as well.
Since retiring from full-time in-church ministry several years ago, much of my work has focused on finding nomads like myself, not attached to any particular worship community and struggling on our own to process all the trauma happening in the world.
I've written extensively about grieving. I've talked about my own grief in losing my father, or grieving my health with the discovery of a brain tumor in the midst of a global pandemic.
I've written about our shared grief in losing communities, friends, and other important relationships to politics.
I've listened to so many people's stories and tried to offer them a loving port in a seemingly endless storm of grief and trauma.
And I've learned a LOT from others along the way.
Now I've compiled those experiences into a new course on grief, and I'd like to get your input.
My team and I have put together a short survey on grief, and we'd love to get your thoughts if you have just a few minutes to spare. Here's the first question:
How much have you struggled with grief in the last few years?
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I'm grateful to everyone who takes the time to respond. Your input helps to grow our community of damn-givers, and makes a positive impact on someone else's life – even if that comfort comes in simply knowing that they are not alone.
And you are not alone. Nearly 1 in 10 Americans has reported long-term, major depression in the last few years. And a recent study by the New York Life Foundation found that 71% of Americans – 79% of whom had lost someone to COVID19 – want a more open discussion about grief and loss in our society.
This course is designed to facilitate those conversations, and your input today is invaluable to that process. Thank you.
Be encouraged.
John
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John Pavlovitz is a writer, pastor, and activist from Wake Forest, North Carolina. A 25-year veteran in the trenches of local church ministry, John is committed to equality, diversity, and justice—both inside and outside faith communities. When not actively working for a more compassionate planet, John enjoys spending time with his family, exercising, cooking, and having time in nature. He is the author of If God is Love, Don't be a Jerk, A Bigger Table, Hope and Other Superpowers, Low, Rise, and Stuff That Needs to Be Said.
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