Are you searching for a way to teach your children about empathy, culture, race, and prejudice? Are you feeling overwhelmed and unsure of where to begin? We can help. Deep Blue Life: Faith and Culture—Anti-Racism includes three sessions teaching about “Prejudice and Stereotypes,” “Curiosity and Empathy,” and “Colors and Cultures.”
Anti-Racism Lesson One: Prejudice and Stereotypes
Main Idea: Understanding the truth beyond stereotypes can help us combat our own prejudice and bias, and work against racism.
BIBLE CONNECTIONS: Matthew 7:1-4
Don’t judge, so that you won’t be judged. You’ll receive the same judgment you give. Whatever you deal out will be dealt out to you. Why do you see the splinter that’s in your brother’s or sister’s eye, but don’t notice the log in your own eye? How can you say to your brother or sister, “Let me take the splinter out of your eye,” when there’s a log in your eye?
BACKGROUND FOR LEADERS: Many people think that discussing bias, prejudice, and stereotypes is impolite or can
make the problem worse. In fact, studies have shown that having conversations about these issues, even when we don’t get things exactly right, goes a long way to help us overcome such attitudes in ourselves. This is especially important for children, who quickly notice differences among people.
Anti-Racism Lesson Two: Curiosity and Empathy
Main Idea: Asking questions and learning about one another can grow compassion and connection, the foundation of combatting racism.
BIBLE CONNECTIONS: Psalm 139:1-3
LORD, you have examined me. You know me. You know when I sit down and when I stand up. Even from far away, you comprehend my plans. You study my traveling and resting. You are thoroughly familiar with all my ways.
BACKGROUND FOR LEADERS: Empathy is the ability to understand how and why others feel the way that they do,
and we develop our empathy for others though genuine curiosity, patience, kindness, and good listening. Honing our curiosity and empathy is a tremendously important foundational practice for the work of anti-racism. This lesson will focus on those fundamental attitudes.
Anti-Racism Lesson Three: Colors and Cultures
Main Idea: God made us to be diverse, from our skin color to the expressions of our cultures and families.
BIBLE CONNECTIONS: Revelation 7:9
After this I looked, and there was a great crowd that no one could number. They were from every nation, tribe, people, and language. They were standing before the throne and before the Lamb.
BACKGROUND FOR LEADERS: Kids as young as four and five begin to notice racial and cultural diversity. They see
difference among people and seek to place those differences into cognitive categories. So the sooner we can note difference, celebrate it, and name God’s goodness in our difference, the sooner children will start building their foundation of seeing all kinds of people in the image of God, the core of Christian anti-racist theological ethics. This lesson will offer insight into the beauty of cultural expressions and diversity, and help learners build gratitude and curiosity as they interact with people different than themselves.