a tool, not a weapon

My students are starting the Healing Ministry of Jesus unit. This is one of the most important things I will teach them because I want them to take from this how Jesus lived and how we should try to live as well. Jesus cared about people and met the needs of the less fortunate. He wanted people to look into their hearts, see their sins, and do something about it with his help. James Dobson�s often-hateful approach is not what Jesus wanted for us.

Change comes through a personal relationship with God. When we look to how to Jesus interacted with people who were considered the big sinners of his day (tax collectors, prostitutes) or the people who did not bother with (Samaritans, lepers) we do not see so much confrontation but conversation. Sure, Jesus pointed out their sins and how to fix them but Jesus also befriended them and did not present him as holier than thou (funny thing about being the only person who was, and not flaunting it).

If Jesus were physically on Earth today, he would not be holding up a sign at an Abortion clinic with a dead baby on it, or supporting someone�s execution (something I am sure he is pretty sensitive about), or against someone else�s civil rights. I am more sure he would be disgusted with the religious leaders of our day, or the people who claim to be our leaders, than with the sins they rail against. Hypocrisy born of a lack of love seemed to bother him more that breaking a Commandment.

I want the children to come away with this unit with the seeds of a social conscience. I want them to learn that the Bible is a tool, not a weapon. Jesus taught us to love each other, to take care of each other, to keep each other accountable and he showed us a way to perfect and enternal life.

This will culminate in them writing puppet shows, making puppets and sets, and performing the puppet shows around the school and in our community. It ties in with Language Arts and my overarching need to give myself a headache. Puppet shows are the best first encounter with dramatic arts because they can write, produce, and perform without being seen and feeling the pressure of having others observing them. In this process, they are out of the site of others. This reduces a lot of their stress and produces great results.

Also, Yesterday in preparing the progress reports I deleted my grade book from my computer, saved it as deleted and ripped out my hair. Luckily, I keep it backed up in three different places because I delete things I need to keep constantly.