Chapel Sermon by NLM: Sunday 20th October 2013
We have been looking at bullying this week and looking at ways that it can be stopped before it really begins. Bullying causes a terrible legacy: the victims are changed forever, their confidence is frequently destroyed; and the child bully at school, often becomes the adult bully at work or at home, picking on their spouse or children.
We have been looking at bullying this week and looking at ways that it can be stopped before it really begins. Bullying causes a terrible legacy: the victims are changed forever, their confidence is frequently destroyed; and the child bully at school, often becomes the adult bully at work or at home, picking on their spouse or children.
Bullying is evil ... and it nearly always starts with words.
Words. Words are powerful ...They can really hurt ...
"Cheat! Thief! Pig! Nobody likes you! Who cares what you think? I hate you!"
They can also go some way to mend the hurt ...
They can also go some way to mend the hurt ...
"It's ok. You're my best friend! You are brilliant! I love you."
As we found out in our anti-bullying workshops yesterday, words can cause internal pain that takes a lot more time to heal than cuts and bruises ...
In fact, if we move the 's' from the end of 'words' and stick it at the beginning, what do you get?
Sword ... and swords were only really designed for one purpose ... causing harm.
"Sticks and Stones may break your bones but words will never hurt you!"
We have all heard this phrase or used it when people say unkind things and upset us. It is true that Sticks and stones can cause short term physical damage but words can cause longer-term damage ... sometimes that never heals. Unkind words can shake your confidence and bring your world tumbling down around you.
An example: now, as promised, cue the Giraffe. Say "hello" to Gerald.
Gerald is an elegant giraffe. He is tall and handsome, but his legs are rather thin and his knees quite bandy.
NLM
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| This sermon is very much based on this book, "Giraffes can't dance" by Giles Andreae |
Now, a while ago Gerald wanted to join in with all of the other animals in the Jungle Dance, he tried to rhumba with the Rhinos, tango with the Tigers and Lambada with the Lemurs, but everyone knows that, just like Hairy Bikers, "Giraffe's can't dance!" and when he tried to join in Gerald's long limbs got tangled up and he collapsed in a heap on the floor. Everybody laughed at him and told him that he was useless. "Everyone knows that Giraffe's can't dance!" they all told him.
Gerald slunk off into the undergrowth and did what all right thinking giraffe's do when they are feeling down. No, he did not reach for a pot of ice cream or a chocolate bar, he looked at the moon and felt really sorry for himself. He even shed a little tear or two ... or three ... or four. Actually he cried quite a lot.
Until a little cricket came up to him and had a chat with him. The cricket turned out to be quite a talented violinist and played some wicked tunes on his fiddle for Gerald in order to try and cheer him up. Gerald liked the music and started to sway in time. He closed his eyes, his hooves started making circles in the ground and soon he was dancing ... really dancing.
To cut a long story short, Gerald found out that he could dance to this music. The rhumba, the lambada and the tango were just not his thing! He demonstrated his new found skill to the other animals, who were suitably impressed and revised their opinions on the dancing potential of giraffes: "Giraffe's can dance!", they all cried.
The sudden reversal of opinion of the other animals and the kind words that they eventually used did make Gerald feel good about himself ... but did he really trust the other animals? Were they just humouring him?
Telling someone that they cannot do something or that they are useless can be just as destructive as name calling. There is a passage in Ephesians chapter 4, verse 29 that sums it up well...
"Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to use in edyfing, that it may minister grace unto others"
Another piece of advice was given to me when I was in Upper 2 (Year 6 ... I think in New Money!)
"If you have got nothing nice to say ... then say nothing!"
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| Tim Minchin |
Tim Minchin, the Australian wordsmith, he who wrote the words and music for the hit musical Matilda, put the whole sticks and stones thing quite nicely in his song 'Predjudice':
"Sticks and stones can break your bones, but words can break hearts."
NLM
