A Conversation Guide
Scriptural Foundation: Psalm 20, Matthew 26:47-52
Goals:
·
Express and process feelings about violent
events.
·
Make the connection among forms and contexts of
violence.
·
Discuss how God is calling us to respond to
violence
Guided Meditation (2 minutes)
Prep & Materials: None
Say:[1]
Let’s think about
Saturday’s March for Our Lives as we take a few deep breaths … slowly … deeply
… in … and out … in … and out … in … and out …
And let’s think about
the reasons people marched … marched in the “March for Our Lives” … young
people … adult allies … students … their teachers … in Washington, DC … in New
York City … and other parts of the U.S. and world …
If you were at one of
the marches … what was it like? … what feelings did it bring up? … who were the
other people marching with you? … And if you didn’t participate in any of the
marches, consider the reasons why … What did you see about these marches … hear
about these marches … read about these marches? … What thoughts and feelings
did it bring up for you? …
And as you’re
continuing to breathe slowly … deeply … in … and out … in … and out … let’s
also look at the images placed in our center piece … take your time … take them
in …
Who was represented at
the march? … who wasn’t? …. consider the words on the signs people carried with
them … think about the reasons why so many people decided to march … Take a few
more breaths as you get ready to talk about Saturday’s March for Our Lives in
our circle today.
Reflection (10 minutes)
Prep & Materials: Place images of protest signs[2]
in the center of the room where everyone can see.
Ask students to respond, passing around a talking stick or
whatever you use.
1.
Share your thoughts or feelings about the March
for Our Lives that took place on Saturday, March 24, 2018.
2.
Share your reasons for having joined, or not
having joined, the march.
3.
Based on the images in the center piece, what
other reasons do you think motivated people to join the march? How do you feel about that?
Video Discussion (20 minutes)
Prep & Materials: Queue the New York Times video “We Are the Change”[3]
Ask students to respond to the following questions,[4]
passing around a talking stick or whatever you use. It may be helpful to start
the conversation in pairs and then move to the larger group.
1.
What about the video resonated or stood out for
you? Why?
2.
Reflect on how the students in the video talk
about gun violence in their Chicago neighborhood. How is this the same or different from the
experience the Parkland students had with gun violence?
3.
What are your thoughts and feelings about the
meeting between the two student groups in Chicago the week before the March for
Our Lives? Is it important for these
students to share their experiences with each other? Why?
Why not?
4.
How might a meeting of this sort affect the
movement the students are seeking to build?
5.
How do the students in the video talk about the
March for Our Lives and activism around gun control? How does that connect to your own experience
(or lack of experience) with the March for Our Lives and the movement around
gun control?
Bible Study (20 Minutes)
Prep & Materials: Hand out Bibles or copies of Psalm 20
and Matthew 26:47-52, paper /the back side of the scripture/index cards, and
pens.
Psalm 20
Read Psalm 20:7 aloud: Some
take pride in chariots, and some in horses, but our pride is in the name of the
Lord our God.
Read the following quote:
Here the Psalmist is
offering up two ways of being in the world, but to get to them we have to
understand a little bit about the place of horses and chariots in the Ancient
world... Chariots were implements of war and violence that were of course led
by horses. We might today say that some trust in tanks and others in rifles,
but we praise the Lord. The Psalmist is making the case first of all, that
whatever we trust in is what we worship. Secondly, I think he wants to say that
you cannot trust in weapons of violence as well as God.[5]
Ask:
·
Do you agree with this perspective?
·
What do you think the psalmist means?
If the season is appropriate, make the connection to Palm
Sunday as well.
Violence in the Bible
Say:
Like many things in
the Bible, this teaching seems contrary to the fact that the Bible is really
violent. But that same author points out that a lot of the Bible subverts the
common wisdom about violence.
Ask for definitions of “subvert,” and clarify: To subvert undermine the power and authority
of an established system or institution, especially with irony or mockery.
Paraphrase the following, explaining stories as necessary
for your context:
It would be easy to be
confused by this since so much of the Old Testament is stories of violence, but
if you look closer, so often they subvert the common ideas of violence. The
future king David accepts the challenge of Goliath and so King Saul gets David
his armor and his sword. Israel at this time, didn’t really have swords because
they hadn’t mastered working with iron yet. So, they actually had to buy them
from the Philistines. This is why Saul had to arm David with his own sword and
armor, not a lot of others could afford that stuff. Yet the armor doesn’t fit
and both it and the sword are too heavy so David goes out with just a slingshot
and the clothes he came from Bethlehem in. Then he actually manages to defeat
the armored giant Goliath with his sling and his trust in God.
God downsized Gideon’s
army multiple times before battle. The walls of Jericho fell because of horn
blasts. All of this subverts the ideas that if you want to beat an enemy you have
to meet their violence with an equal violence. All of this subverts the trust
in the sword. It subverts the way of living that depends on anything other than
God for protection.[6]
Read Matthew 26:47-52 aloud:
While Jesus was still
speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, came. With him was a large crowd carrying
swords and clubs. They had been sent by the chief priests and elders of the
people. His betrayer had given them a sign: “Arrest the man I kiss.” Just then
he came to Jesus and said, “Hello, Rabbi.” Then he kissed him. But Jesus said
to him, “Friend, do what you came to do.” Then they came and grabbed Jesus and
arrested him. One of those with Jesus reached for his sword. Striking the high
priest’s slave, he cut off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, “Put the sword back
into its place. All those who use the sword will die by the sword.
Ask students to respond to the following questions, passing
around a talking stick or whatever you use. It may be helpful to start the
conversation in pairs and then move to the larger group.
1.
What do you notice? What interests you? What
questions do you have?
2.
What do you think Jesus means when he says, “Those
who use the sword will die by the sword”?
3.
How do you think these teachings connect to
violence today?
4.
Are the forms of violence faced by the students
in Parkland and in Chicago the same or different? Is gun violence and the
violence faced by those in the Bible the same or different? How do they
connect?
5.
What do you think the Bible would say about the
violence in our time?
Intentions
Provide students with quiet time to answer the following
question: How do you think God is calling you today? How will you answer that
call? Invite them to write down their responses on their paper to take home, or
on an index card to place on the altar.
Closing Prayer (3 minutes)
Ask if anyone would like to offer anything up for prayer.
Read Psalm 20 together.
Psalm 20
May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble!
May the name of the God of Jacob protect you!
May he send you help from the sanctuary,
and give you support from Zion.
May she remember all your offerings,
and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices.
May he grant you your heart’s desire,
and fulfill all your plans.
May we shout for joy over your victory,
and in the name of our God set up our banners.
May the Lord fulfill all your petitions.
Now I know that the Lord will help her anointed;
she will answer him from her holy heaven
with mighty victories by her right hand.
Some take pride in chariots, and some in horses,
but our pride is in the name of the Lord our God.
They will collapse and fall,
but we shall rise and stand upright.
Give victory to the king, O Lord;
answer us when we
call.
[1]
http://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/reflecting-march-our-lives
[2]
http://www.morningsidecenter.org/sites/default/files/documents-pdfs/March%20for%20Our%20Lives%20center%20piece.pdf
[3]
https://www.nytimes.com/video/us/politics/100000005806457/chicago-parkland-washington-march.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage
[4]
http://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/reflecting-march-our-lives
[5]
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/thepangeablog/2018/02/26/god-for-guns/#uACRRovhmyZDIeGx.99
[6]
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/thepangeablog/2018/02/26/god-for-guns/#uACRRovhmyZDIeGx.99
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