Joy. Rage. Love. Despair. Ecstasy. Hope. Anxiety. Shame. Grief. Attraction. Curious. Playful. Peace.

Emotions are sneaky, inefficient, disruptive–they can pull us under or allow us to fly – and feelings are real. You have them, and so does every single other person around you. So many of us have learned that emotions need to be denied or controlled – that emotions do not hold value or meaning. But what if just the opposite were true? Showing up in our bodies – the tightness in your stomach, the heat in your palms, the openness in your chest – emotions are some of our closest teachers waiting (and sometimes demanding) to be acknowledged.

The irony of this age of e-connectivity is that people are more isolated than ever. Social fragmentation is on the rise, just when we most need one another. In this service, we'll use a Buddhist story to explore the various 'roles' we humans play in troubled times, and how essential our willingness to risk being vulnerable with one another is to our very survival.