Lesson 4 / March 26, 2017 Understanding Loneliness

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1 / March 26, 2017 Understanding Loneliness Focus: Jesus understands our loneliness. Bible Basis: Matthew 26:36-41, 47, 56; 27:35-56, By Frieda Nossaman Memory Verse: Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. Matthew 28:20b Students will discuss loneliness and its many causes as they focus on how Jesus understands that emotion. Materials: Internet access As students enter your group today, ask them to find a partner to discuss what causes loneliness and/or how you can know if a person is lonely. Regroup and discuss some of your students findings. Then ask your students: Would anybody be willing to share about a time when you experienced loneliness? (Allow one or two students to answer; be prepared to talk about your own experience first to assure them this is a safe place to share.) Every one of us has experienced loneliness at one time or another. Loneliness can stem from many sources: actually having no friends or feeling like you don t have friends (even if you do); moving to a new environment such as a school, neighborhood, state or country; feeling left out of a group; not having anyone to hang out with or play with if you are a child; being isolated if you are elderly; etc. Children and the elderly are often lonely. Why do you think this might be? (Answers will vary but might include that some children don t have brothers or sisters and that can be lonely; some are bullied at school or just don t know how to make friends; elderly people often live alone if a spouse has died and sometimes they don t get many visitors.)

2 The company AvatarMind has developed a robot to help ease loneliness, especially for children and the elderly. AvatarMind's ipal robot is 3 ½ feet tall (about the height of a 5-year-old child) and has 23 motors in the neck, arm, fingers, and wrists. It is shaped like a child and moves like a child. A tablet embedded in its chest runs Android applications, and enables video chatting, etc. For users, ipal is a fun companion. It can talk, dance, tell stories, play games, and enable them to chat with friends, share videos, and connect to social media and even 911. Where most similar robots cost between $8,000 and $10,000, this robot (set to be sold this summer in the U.S.) goes for $1,500. These robots are being shipped to China first. In China, there are many only children because of the one-child-per-family law that the Chinese government previously enforced. These robots are being sent in the hope that these children in China will gain educational interaction as well as find companionship with a robot friend. Share the following video with your students [2:10]: The AvatarMInd ipal Robot for Children According to CEO John Osterm of AvatarMind, It s not a replacement for a human, but I think it s a reasonable way to improve the lives of people who don t have access to a community or are stuck in their home. Dr. Amy Banks, a psychiatrist, and the author of Wired to Connect: The Surprising Link Between Brain Science and Strong, Healthy Relationships, reported that nonhuman connections, such those made with pets or robots, can help with loneliness. Does it make you happy or sad to watch these children playing with a robot? Explain. (Responses will vary, but may include answers like this: It s sad that kids have to interact with a robot because they don t have a sibling or friends to play with or I think it is great that technology can make these kids feel less lonely. ) Do you think this type of robot will be a good companion for the elderly? Explain. (There are no wrong answers here. Invite discussion. Students might comment on how interaction with the robot might keep the mind of the elderly person active or that the robot might save a life if it can connect with 911 when there is a problem. They might also say that adult children who neglect to visit an elderly parent might find even more excuses to stay away if they thought a robot was taking their place.) People were created for relationship; they are not meant to be alone. We need interaction; isolation makes for loneliness. Do you think robots are a feasible way to address the problem of loneliness among people? (Encourage your students to discuss pros and cons: robots are adequate companions for people; they aren t human so can t have real feelings; they would always say and do exactly what they are programmed to do/say [this is a pro and a con since they would never be disagreeable but wouldn t have any original or real thought or feedback]; they are available any time you want a friend/they could break down and would be expensive to replace.)

3 When do you feel most lonely and why? (Allow as many students to respond as you have time for.) A robot may seem like a companion to a lonely person, but it can t truly understand what humans feel. Today let s talk about a Person who always understands every emotion we feel including our loneliness. Resources: Title: Can a Robot Help People Overcome Loneliness? Source: URL: Short Description: A robot has been created to ease the loneliness of children and the elderly and is being sent first to China to help only children there. One-child policy (Continue on to Steps 2 and 3 in your teacher s guide; your Step 4 appears below.)

4 / March 26, 2017 Understanding Loneliness Focus: Jesus understands our loneliness. Bible Basis: Matthew 26:36-41, 47, 56; 27:35-56, Memory Verse: Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. Matthew 28:20b Materials: Internet access Index cards Pens/pencils Today s memory verse with words spoken by Jesus means a lot to those who are lonely. Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age Matthew 28:20b. We may feel loneliness on occasion, but as we ve seen in today s lesson, Jesus understands because He experienced loneliness Himself. Jesus experienced loneliness in Gethsemane when He needed His friends to pray, but they fell asleep in the garden; when He was betrayed by Judas; when His disciples fled; when the criminal on the cross and those watching Him die hurled insults at Him; and finally, when on the cross He was forsaken by God, His Father. It doesn t take much to help someone feel less lonely. A popular Canadian television commercial that has gone viral shows a real way for people to reach out to someone who might be lonely. Show this one minute clip and encourage students to think of something like this they might be able to implement into their week as a caring act [1:00]: Canadian Tire Wheels Hand out index cards and pencils or pens for students to use. If we, as Christians, experience feelings of loneliness, think about those who don t know Jesus promise that He is with us always. Have each person write down on their index card the name of one person they know who might be lonely. Ask each student to come up with and write down a tangible way to reach out to that lonely person in friendship this week. Encourage students think of an elderly relative or residents of a nursing home that need a visit. Urge them to be friendly and invite kids who look lost or alone to join their group at lunch or P.E. or any of the many places where kids can feel lonely. When we befriend lonely people, we open the door for future conversations about Jesus. Jesus understands our loneliness, but He also has asked us to be His eyes and hands and feet

5 in helping those around us who might need some encouragement. Our example of showing care for others can give them just a quick glimpse of how Jesus understands. Close in prayer thanking Jesus for helping us with our loneliness because He understands it. Also pray for courage for your students to befriend those who are lonely so that they may know Jesus who understands their loneliness best! (We are not affiliated with and do not endorse any website or any other media listed on these pages. At the time of writing, we carefully review the referenced material and nonreferenced web page content. However, due to the nature of the Internet, non-cited content on the website [including pop-ups, links, and ads] changes frequently and is beyond our control. Please review carefully before showing links in the classroom.)

WEEK TWO PREPARATION LESSON

WEEK TWO PREPARATION LESSON WEEK TWO PREPARATION Read Matthew 28 twice. Set up your room, as you did last week. Use all the same maps, props, globes, globe beach balls and toys and arrange them in similar fashion. Also have a marker