GRounded in Life: Longing to Belong

This Sunday, we gather with Joe Pittenger, around the warmth of a shared vision - Grounded in Life. In his reflection this week, Joe will explore the deep and universal human experience of Longing to Belong.

Together, we’ll consider what it means to find connection, not only with one another, but also within ourselves and the wider world. In a time when so many feel untethered, we invite you to join us in a nurturing space where belonging isn’t just possible—it’s practiced.

Whether you are returning or arriving for the first time, come as you are. Let’s build something rooted, real, and welcoming—together.

Watch the Gathering Here

Quotes

We need joy as we need air. We need love as we need water. We need each other as we need the earth we share. — Maya Angelou

Life doesn't make any sense without interdependence. We need each other, and the sooner we learn that, the better for us all. - Erik Erikson

Readings

The hunger to belong is at the heart of our nature. Cut off from others, we atrophy and turn in on ourselves. The sense of belonging is the natural balance of our lives. Mostly, we do not need to make an issue of belonging. When we belong, we take it for granted. There is some innocent childlike side to the human heart that is always deeply hurt when we are excluded. Belonging suggests warmth, understanding, and embrace. No one was created for isolation. When we become isolated, we are prone to being damaged; our minds lose their flexibility and natural kindness; we become vulnerable to fear and negativity. The sense of belonging keeps you in balance amidst the inner and outer immensities. The ancient and eternal values of human life—truth, unity, goodness, justice, beauty, and love are all statements of true belonging; they are also the secret intention and dream of human longing.

– John O'Donohue