How Big Is The World?
Let’s compare
our lives today, with the lives of our great-grandparents. One big difference between us is the amount
of information and news available. If we
want, we can read or listen to news about current events all day long on the
radio, on TV, on the internet or in print.
But many of our great-grandparents did not have this chance for news.
How does all
the news affect you? Do you like to
listen to or read a lot of news each day?
What are your main sources of news?
Does news tend to depress you?
Or inspire you? Or does news
make you want to take actions or get involved politically? When you read about flood or hurricane
victims, do you pray or send money? Or
do you store the news away in your mind?
Do you like to discuss current events with family, friends or
others? How often do you discuss
current events?
Give an
example of something you read or heard in the news recently that was interesting
to you. Explain why it’s interesting.
Disneyland has
a very old and popular ride called “It’s A Small World.” There are beautiful international dolls from
around the world. The meaning is that,
although there are many different cultures, still the world is full of humans
who are more similar than they are different.
Do you feel that the world is a small place or a large place? When you meet people from different countries,
or read about different cultures, do you think we have a lot in common with
each other? Please give examples. Or do you notice how very different we
are? Please give examples. How does international news affect your
thinking about whether the world is small or large? If not news, what influences your thinking about the “size” of
the world?
Psychoanalyst,
Erich Fromm, wrote in his well-known book, The Art of Loving, “Love of one person implies love of mankind
as such. The kind of “division of
labor,” by which one loves one’s family but is without feeling for the “stranger,”
is a sign of a basic inability to love.” (pg 54) Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not?
Micah, a prophet, writes in the Old Testament of the Bible:
“With what shall I come to the Lord, and bow myself before
the God on high? Shall I come to Him
with burnt offerings? . . . .
He has told you, O man, what is good: And what does the Lord require of you but to
do justice, to love kindness and walk humbly with your God?” Micah 6:6, 8
What do you think of these three values - justice, kindness and walking in humility
with God? What would you propose as the
three most important values?