God Squad: Empathy in the Age of Schadenfreude – and a timely conversation on Ukraine

Prepared to explore “Empathy in the Age of Schadenfreude,” the God Squad showed up to a room full of people disturbed by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.  It turns out our planned topic was just the opening we needed to explore how one addresses the moral complexities of the war in Ukraine.

Prepared to explore “Empathy in the Age of Schadenfreude,” the God Squad showed up to a room full of people disturbed by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It turns out our planned topic was just the opening we needed to explore how one addresses the moral complexities of the war in Ukraine.

Join us for this timely conversation as we seek spiritual reinforcement from God Squad originals Pastor Betsy Ouellette Zierden of St. George Island United Methodist Church, Father Tim Holeda of St. Thomas More Co-Cathedral, and Rabbi Jack Romberg, author of “A doorway to Heroism: A decorated German-Jewish Soldier who became an American Hero.”

Schadenfreude = the experience of feeling joy due to another person’s misfortune.

As the political landscape has devolved into a Mad Max hellscape of blame and retribution (and sometimes even worse), can we find a way to wrestle up a little empathy for our fellow human, even the ones who we don’t agree with — liberal or conservative; Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Atheist; black, white or brown and everyone in between? Is it possible to find humanity amidst the age of political ruin? We’ll find out.