Our ALIVE theme this week is ‘We are interdependent’.  Being interdependent is recognising that everything we do (all our actions) has an impact on other people.  Here is a clip from one of my favourite films, ‘The Bee Movie’ which highlights this quite well!

In the film, the bees reclaim their honey and stop collecting pollen. This results in all the flowers dying as they need the bees for pollination.  The bees are not trying to be selfish or mean, they just want to take back what belongs to them.  They don’t realise what might happen in the future until it is too late.

Sometimes even our well-intentioned actions can have a negative effect on others.  Being interdependent means that everything we do affects each other.  We are a community.

Have a class discussion about how your actions can affect each other. Can you think of some examples?

In the Bible, interdependence is sometimes described in the context of the Human Body. If you have a headache or are unwell, it affects you everywhere!

The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the foot, “I don’t need you!” No! Those parts of the body that seem to be the weaker are really necessary.  And the parts of the body we think are less deserving are the parts to which we give the most honour. If one part of the body suffers, all the other parts suffer with it. Or if one part of our body is honoured, all the other parts share its honour.’  ^{1 Corinthians 12:21-26}

This week – try and notice how your actions affect others as well as how you are affected by others.  Try and spread kindness and encouragement.

Prayer,

Heavenly Father, thank you that we are all equal in your sight.  Help us to recognise how our actions affect those around us.  Help us to use our words and our actions to spread kindness, restoration and encouragement.  Thank you for our school community and all the different skills and talents we all bring.  Help us to celebrate this in all we do.  Amen

* AI generated image | Public domain