David C Cook COVID-19 Response

Sharing Our Ups and Downs

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Materials Needed:

  • Internet access

Have you ever been able to use your personal experience to encourage someone else? Sometimes the most compassionate friend is the one who takes the time to understand the pain of our situation. A great example of this is when two high school students in Memphis, Tennessee took the time to understand how a classmate was being bullied—and evaluated how they could help. Let’s take a look.

Watch the following video with your class and then discuss the questions that follow [1:48]:
Bullied boy in Memphis gets help from classmates

  • Why is it more touching to see compassion coming from a classmate as opposed to, say, a teacher? (Teachers are naturally trained to assist students who are in need, but a classmate who reaches out might be more effective since he or she knows what it feels like to be in that situation.)
  • Does your school have a program such as peer counseling? What is the philosophy behind these kinds of programs? (Professionals are extremely important when it comes to assisting someone in need. However, peers can give an empathetic perspective that an adult might not have.)
  • What is the difference between sympathy and empathy? Why is the distinction important? (Both words come from the root PATH, meaning “feeling.” Sympathy involves feeling pity toward someone’s pain, while empathy involves a higher level of relatability and shared personal experience.) 
  • Have you ever been able to listen to or help someone with deeper empathy because of what you’ve been through? (Allow students to pair up and talk briefly about their experiences.)

Sometimes when we pray, we can feel like we’re praying to a distant, abstract entity. Yet because He came to earth and shared in our human suffering, temptations, and physical pain, He is a Savior who is more than a cosmic Deity. He understands our struggles and has compassion on us.

Looking for Steps 2 & 3?

You can find Steps 2 and 3 in your teacher’s guide. To purchase a teacher’s guide, please visit: Bible-in-Life or Echoes.

Materials Needed:

  • Whiteboard and marker (or screenshared document)

Spread the word

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