Last Sunday during our Children’s Chapel Service, we learned that babies (and young children) seemed to be programmed to understand empathy. They want to help; they want to soothe pain in others; they recognize fairness and kindness. We watched an interesting puppet show created by a child study program at Yale University to examine whether babies, some as young as three months, comprehend the concept of helping those in need. A tiger puppet struggles to open a box while two identical bears, one dressed in a green shirt, the other in an orange shirt, look on. The green-shirted bear helps the tiger to lift the box lid; but the orange-shirted tiger slams it shut. When the babies are presented with the bears after the puppet show, ninety percent of them reach for the green-shirted bear, or just stare at it if they’re too young developmentally to reach.
The message is that we are all born understanding how to help or at least gravitating toward the helpers. As we grow older, we are taught by our society of parents, caregivers, teachers, friends, and peers to take care of ourselves first. We learn to dress on our own, tie shoes, go to the bathroom, eat, and later, there’s homework and chores like cleaning your room, shoveling snow, taking out the trash. There are also interminable daily responsibilities: sports, music lessons, church. It is during these growing up years when we understandably may get distracted from helping others. But that sense of empathy for most of us never goes away. For some, it may take extra time to reconnect to that pre-programmed response in us, but it’s still there.
After the chapel service, we went downstairs and prepared food for the youth of the Lifebuild Program in New Haven. The casseroles we made, along with boxes of donated food, were delivered on Monday. We got this response from one of the life Coaches:
We are so thankful for the continued support and love that we receive from you and your congregation.
Hunger is a real problem for our youth. Giving really does change the lives of so many.
Please thank the young people of your church. I would like for you to also tell them that they are the reminders in the world that there are more good people in the word than bad.
Thank you once again from the deepest part of my heart.
Very respectfully,
L. Berta Holmes
Life Coach/Case Manager
EMERGE Connecticut, Inc.
Thank you, children!
In the coming weeks, I will be looking for volunteers to help facilitate our Summer Fun & Games activities with the children during the summer worship series. This is an opportunity for you to interact with our children and get to know them while doing a fun summer-y activity with them. It’s fun and super easy. Please consider volunteering. Look for a sign-up sheet in the coffee hour space starting May 27.
We are also looking for RE teachers for next year. If you are interested in having an awesome experience with our children, learning along with them about interesting and profound ideas, concepts, and religious thoughts, see Nate or Benna Lehrer.
Religious Education Schedule:
May 27: Memorial Day weekend. There will be a special organized activity for those children who come to church.
June 3: Religious Education classes
June 10: Church on the Beach!
June 17: Let the Summer fun & Games begin!
June 24: Summer Fun & Games
Warm Regards,
Nate Pawelek, DRE