originally published 4/20/2021

Pastor Eric O. Jacobsen addresses modern isolation and how to foster belonging in his book Three Pieces of Glass: Why We Feel Lonely in a World Mediated by Screens (Brazos Press, 2020). The title “three pieces of glass” refers to the car windshield, the television, and the cell phone. Jacobsen structures his argument around these emblematic items to illustrate how modern priorities have led to alienation from people and the places where we live. Applying his previous work on the importance of place, Jacobsen explains how urbanist Jane Jacobs argued for respectful attentiveness to “organized complexity” in the city. Jacobsen applies her ideas to what he calls “kingdom-belonging,” arguing that it’s not possible to straightforwardly engineer, but only organically cultivate. The belonging that grows in this way, he believes, is the subjective experience of “shalom:” the goodness and beauty of right relationships in the Kingdom of God. This interview was originally featured on Volume 150 of the Journal.

22 minutes

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