Activity 4: Your Neighbor and Yourself (30 minutes)
Materials for Activity
- Paper for drawing or writing for all participants
- Drawing and writing implements, such as pencils, colored pencils, markers, crayons
- A bell
- Clock, watch, or timer that shows seconds
- Optional: Cordless microphone
Preparation for Activity
- Make sure each participant will each have a seat at a table where she/he can write or draw.
- Place paper and drawing/writing implements on a common table or within your own reach for distribution to participants.
Description of Activity
Introduce a time of reflection with these or similar words:In the Christian Bible, a lawyer asks the teacher Jesus to clarify the religious law that commands Jews to love their neighbors as themselves. In response, Jesus tells a story about a man, a traveler, who lay severely beaten on the side of the road. Two people walked by and didn't help him, but someone else—a man from Samaria, who was poor and an outcast in this land—stopped to help this man, nursing his wounds, tending to him, and showing him great generosity. Jesus said "go and do likewise."
But we often feel like we can't go and do likewise—we get to thinking that we can't simply love our neighbors (all humanity) as ourselves.
Sometimes we can't be bothered with our neighbors. Our time is precious and planned and time for a neighbor feels like it would take away from what we have to do.
Sometimes we are afraid of our neighbors. What will they do to us? What will they want from us? Our fears may keep us from opening the front door to a stranger or from leaving our homes for new territory.
Some people or causes seem as if they might drain us of all we've got.
Pose these questions:
- How have you shown, or how do you show care, love, and respect to yourself?
- How have you shown, or how do you show care, love, and respect to others? How about those who are not your friends or family?
Tell participants:
A bell will lead you in and out of a quiet in which you can contemplate these questions. You are invited to come forward as you feel moved to gather supplies for drawing or writing.
Allow five minutes for reflection, drawing, and writing. Ring the bell when five minutes are up.
Invite participants to form pairs for discussion. Encourage participants to pair with someone with whom they haven't paired with before. If you have an odd number of participants, form one triad.
Offer these instructions:
In pairs, one of you shares while the other listens attentively, openly. After the first speaker finishes, let there be a moment of silence between you. Then switch roles.
Each person will have three minutes to share. A bell will ring when it's time to shift roles and to end the time of sharing.
Ring the bell at three minutes and at six minutes. If you have a triad, watch the clock and signal this group verbally at two minutes and four minutes to help these participants share their time equally.
Regather the whole group and say:
We have a few minutes for sharing in the larger group. What did you discover? What did you say or hear that you want to share with the larger group?
Allow as many responses as time permits. Thank each person who speaks.
Including All Participants
You may wish to pass a cordless microphone during discussion to help participants hear one another better.If you notice participants struggling to hear one another speak in their pairs, allow some pairs to leave the room and find a quieter space. If you have two participants who use ASL, and only one interpreter, allow these two participants to work together as a pair.
Last updated on Saturday, April 19, 2008.
