Compassion is Key to Combating America’s Loneliness Epidemic
HOUSTON (PRWEB) January 15, 2019 -- Author, Speaker, and Pastor, Gregg Louis Taylor, has been closing the gaps between the marginalized and the majority for 30 years. His new book “Here, Now, With You: Six Movements of Compassion for Life and Leadership,” with a foreword by Gregory Boyle, founder of Homeboy Industries and author of “Tattoos on the Heart,” explores the reality of a compassionate God who is always here and present with each of us. Taylor invites readers to embrace God's presence in a way that motivates us to be compassionately present for others. Simply, to "Be compassionate, as God is compassionate” (Luke 6:36).
“We are all familiar with – if not victims of – hurtful lines that have been drawn to separate and exclude,” says Taylor, “Through my work with people feeling the weight of marginalization – homeless folks, addicts, immigrants, incarcerated men and women, juveniles caught up in the justice system, and many who have been wounded by the church – I’ve seen this reality have profound implications for individuals, for society, and in faith communities.”
Nearly half of Americans report feeling lonely, and it’s impacting our lifespan. Former U.S. surgeon general, Vivek Murthy, says the “loneliness epidemic” in our country has the same impact on our lifespan as smoking 15 cigarettes day. “There is an answer for this loneliness epidemic,” says Taylor. “Compassion. So, where does our resistance lie? How do we become more receptive to being compassionate to others? Where do we start?”
Taylor responds to these questions in a relatable, practical style in “Here, Now, With You,” published by Abingdon Press. With accessible theological depth, Taylor lays out a path forward through personal reflection and group discussions. The book speaks to church leaders who want to cultivate a wildly welcoming, compassionate space of grace in which anyone touched by their community feels accepted and loved. The book also inspires everyday people to become more aware of compassion’s inner stirring, step into unfamiliar spaces, and be present in one another’s lives.
“The great Gregg Louis Taylor, in this book, helps us put one compassionate foot in front of the next,” writes Boyle in the book’s foreword, “Gregg takes us on a rich journey that reminds us all of our unshakeable goodness and comforts us as we choose the praxis of tenderness.”
The book is scheduled for release February 19, 2019, and is available for pre-order now on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Abingdon Press, and other online book retailers. For more information about the book and Gregg Louis Taylor, visit http://www.gregglouistaylor.com.
About Gregg Louis Taylor
Gregg Louis Taylor is a regularly sought after speaker and the Pastor and Community Architect for Houston: reVision, an organization that leverages the power of compassionate community to connect gang-affected youth with adult mentors, positive peer experiences and life-changing resources, empowering them to revise the stories of their lives. Taylor is an ordained United Methodist Church pastor, co-hosts the reClaimed podcast and is the author of Here, Now, With You: Six Movements of Compassion for Life and Leadership.
For more information visit Taylor’s website at http://www.gregglouistaylor.com or connect with him at Instagram.com/gregglouistaylor, Facebook.com/gregglouistaylor, Twitter.com/GreggLTaylor, and Linkedin.com/in/revgreggtaylor
Cynthia Hayes, (678) 744-8237, [email protected]
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