Prasanta Verma: ”Beyond Ethnic Loneliness” & Finding Unity Without Compromising Diversity or Forcing Assimilation

Content Warning [9 minutes]: Animal violence

There are lots of different kinds of people that call CityChurch San Antonio (my church) home. When you look at the plaza on a Sunday and you’ll see a wide swath of age, gender, ethnicity, style and any other distinction you can imagine. To some degree, this just happened. God has brought a diverse group of people to our campus for us to serve. We didn’t recruit or seek out any one group. But, it was also intentional. Behind the scenes, our leaders continue to take steps to remove barriers so that ALL PEOPLE can believe and thrive in Jesus.

Belonging is a significant part of thriving and a deep need within all of us. It’s not just a basic human need, it is also a spiritual need. Followers of Jesus are the Church, AKA The Body of Christ, where each of us are a valuable part of a larger whole. We are designed to fit together in community and serve together in unity. Everyone is valuable and brings something unique and necessary to the table.

Sadly, there are more folks than ever that are lonely. To the degree that the Surgeon General of the United States called loneliness an epidemic. One of the hallmarks of loneliness is disconnection. A distinct lack of belonging to a group or a robust network of relationships. So, what do we do? My friend Prasanta Verma is here to help us navigate how we can bring people together, across ethnic (and any other) lines.

Order Prasanta’s book today! I also encourage you to check out Prasanta’s website and her Substack, Belonging and the Human Experience.

Belonging and the Human Experience Prasanta was born under an Asian sun and grew up in the shadow of Appalachians. She writes about belonging, identity, loneliness, culture, health and social connection. She wants to help us envision a world where we're all a little less lonely.By Prasanta Verma1

Chapters

00:00 Exploring Ethnic Identity and Loneliness

03:09 The Consequences of Assimilation

24:26 Exploring Ethnic Loneliness and Social Disconnection

32:45 The Power of Storytelling and Empathy

36:57 The Role of Theater in Fostering Empathy and Understanding

42:18 Embracing Discomfort as an Invitation to Growth and Connection

44:52 BOTI Outro Video.mp4