Activity 3: Big Questions
Part of Signs of Our Faith
Activity time: 10 minutes
Materials for Activity
- Large, blank puzzle pieces and appropriate markers
- Newsprint, markers, and tape
Preparation for Activity
- Obtain or make a blank puzzle with 7 to 12 interlocking pieces large enough for children to write on. The Piece puzzle pieces sold on Bare Books are large enough to write on and each piece can lock with any other piece. For a homemade puzzle, cut a large sheet of poster board into identical hexagonal shapes. The shapes will not lock, but, they will fit neatly together when re-assembled randomly. For every puzzle piece that has a question on it, you will need two or three blank pieces for use in Session 4, Activity 1, Religious Explorers.
- Post blank newsprint.
Description of Activity
Children experience how UUism supports us to articulate big theological questions. They create puzzle pieces which they will work with again in Session 4, Activity 1, Religious Explorers.
Say, in these words or your own:
No one is too young to start a faith journey and everyone here is definitely old enough! Let's support one another to take some steps in our UU faith journeys now.
Along a UU faith journey, we get to ask any question we want about life and what it means. Questions like these are called "theological" questions. Theology means religion. These are questions that our religion-Unitarian Universalism-supports us to try and answer.
Invite the children to think of big, theological questions-questions they wonder about life and what it means. Write their questions on newsprint. Prompt, as needed:
- Is there a God?
- Why do people die?
- Why is there war?
- How should I treat people who are mean to me?
Write the children's questions clearly on newsprint. If two questions are similar, work with the group to combine them. Gather 7 to 12 questions.
Assign participants to write the questions, one question per large puzzle piece. While they write, say that Unitarian Universalism helps us look for answers to big questions like these. Say that as Unitarian Universalists, we help one another look for answers in many different places: Sometimes we find answers in science. Sometimes we find answers in the wisdom of people from all cultures and religions who came before us and who share the Earth with us. Sometimes we find answers inside ourselves.
Collect the puzzle pieces and set them aside for use in Session 4.