Session 7: Empathy. ~ 'Abdu'l-Bahá, (Compilations, Baha'i Prayers, p. 173) As always, invite participants to say a prayer from any faith, etc...

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1 Session 7: Empathy 1. Arrival and welcome (10 minutes) 2. Opening prayers/chants (5 minutes) O God, my God! Aid Thou Thy trusted servants to have loving and tender hearts. Help them to spread, amongst all the nations of the earth, the light of guidance that cometh from the Company on high. Verily, Thou art the Strong, the Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Subduing, the Ever-Giving. Verily, Thou art the Generous, the Gentle, the Tender, the Most Bountiful. ~ 'Abdu'l-Bahá, (Compilations, Baha'i Prayers, p. 173) As always, invite participants to say a prayer from any faith, etc Brief review of last session & homework (10 minutes) Who can remember the quotation we memorised last time? ( The best beloved... ) How did it go with the homework: being more aware of your judgments and decisions? Did you notice any improvements in yourself? In your family members? Would anyone like to share something from their justice insights (page 41)? 4. Session #7: Empathy (see next page) (40 minutes)

2 43 Empathy 1. Last week, Kelly and her friends discussed the virtue of empathy in their youth group. 2. How would you explain empathy? (Ensure that people understand the subtle but important difference between empathy see definition below and sympathy: feeling sorry for someone.) 3. Empathy is the ability to put yourself in someone else s position, and to really understand and care about that person s needs and feelings. 4. Empathy is a deeper, more mature response than sympathy, or just feeling sorry for someone. Empathy often calls us to action, to service of some kind. 5. Let s do an exercise to see how we could show empathy in different situations. (See Exercise 1, page 46.) Work in pairs or threes to answer all the questions, then choose one scenario to act out for the group. 6. Kelly said that some people seem to naturally have more empathy, while others just don t seem to have the ability to empathise. Have you noticed differences like that in your own family and circle of friends? (Discuss briefly.) 7. (Discuss in pairs, then get feedback in the large group.) While it may be true that some people have more innate ability to empathise, it is equally true that all of us can in fact learn empathy. Agree/disagree. If you agree, how can we learn empathy at our age? If you disagree, why? 8. Who are the people you personally need to develop the most empathy for in your life? (Link back to Unity session: do we have empathy problems with the same people we had unity problems with? Could developing empathy help us to build unity? Also link to Justice and Kindness...)

3 44 9. Of all the people you know, who shows the most empathy? How can you become more like her/him? 5. Meditation (10 minutes) Now we will meditate on these multifaith quotations about empathy, kindness and compassion. (Play soft music. Light candles. Do some relaxation exercises. Then read these quotations slowly and clearly, leaving a gap of about 1 minute after each so people can reflect.) And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. ~ King James Bible, 2 Peter, 1:5 1:7 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. ~ King James Bible, Ephesians, 4:1 4:7 Pay homage to God... and be good to your parents and relatives, the orphans and the needy and the neighbours who are your relatives and the neighbours who are strangers, and the friend by your side. ~Al-Qur an, 4:36

4 45 He who is incapable of hatred toward any being, who is kind and compassionate, free from selfishness such a devotee of Mine is My beloved. ~Bhagavad-Gita 12: The Kingdom of God is founded upon equity and justice, and also upon mercy, compassion, and kindness to every living soul. Strive ye then with all your heart to treat compassionately all humankind. ~ Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p Memorisation (5 minutes) Choose one of the quotations above and memorise one or two key phrases in it. (Note: If you studied Light Upon Light at a younger age, please don t re-memorise the Pay homage to God quotation this time!) 7. Evaluation (5 minutes) 8. Homework (5 minutes) If relevant, ask your parents and siblings what they learned about empathy in their session(s). Practise being empathetic in your family and in other situations. Focus on becoming more like the person you identified above, in section 4, number 9. Reflect on this: When in my life did I give empathy to someone at a critical moment for them? What difference did I make? When did I receive empathy at a critical moment? What difference did that make to me? Use one or more of the quotations from section 5 above for private meditation during the week. 9. Refreshments and social time (15 minutes)

5 46 EXERCISE 1: Showing Empathy HOW WOULD YOU SHOW EMPATHY IN THESE SITUATIONS? 1. You are playing in the park with your two younger siblings, having fun together. Suddenly, your brother s best friend, Jo, arrives. He jumps off the teeter-totter and runs over to play with Jo. His little sister runs after him, shouting, Wait for me-e-e! You know that two is company, three s a crowd, but you also know how awful it feels to be left out of the bigger kids games. What would you do to show empathy for both your siblings and for Jo, and keep the peace? 2. You notice that your friend seems very subdued, so you ask what s up. She tells you that her mom is really worried about her uncle s health; he is very sick and has to go to hospital for surgery. 3. Your friend is having a birthday party today. One of her best friends, Susie, was looking forward to coming to the party, but she got sick yesterday, and has to miss the party. How can you show empathy to Susie? 4. It s a week night. Your dad has just come home from work. It is very late, and he missed supper. You are exhausted after doing all your homework, and have just sat down to check your s. How can you show empathy for your dad? 5. Your brother comes home from school with a really bad math test result.

A kindly tongue is the lodestone of the hearts of men. -Baha'u'llah

A kindly tongue is the lodestone of the hearts of men. -Baha'u'llah Cut out a large heart out of colored paper and paste the prayer in the middle. Paste the other pictures of people having loving and tender hearts around the prayer. O God, my God! Aid Thou Thy trusted