Jesus, an Upstander, and Me!
Jesus, an Upstander, and Me!
by: Samantha Nepacena
Reign of God
Why is it important?
   The Reign of God is Jesus' main message and is available to all. It is not a place, but a time or experience of God's reign. Jesus understood the Reign of God as peace, joy, freedom, and love. He embodied the Reign of God by teaching about it, showing love, and through miracles. It is right now, but not yet, meaning that it will take time.
(Reign of God,10/3/08)
To obtain the Reign of God, it is our own responsibility to do our part and be upstanders. It is offered and open to everyone, but accepting it is our decision. An example of the Reign of God that we see in our lives is us heading towards peace. There are daily things that remind us to be peacemakers such as giving each other a hand when we need help or saying, “Peace be with you,” at church. However, there are still wars around the world. These wars can be anything from the wars of one country with another or friends in an argument and treating each other disrespectfully. This example shows that right now, we are working on spreading the love and peace, but at the same time, we are not there yet because of wars. 

   
We/They
(We/They, 9/24/08)
Why is it important?
Media Clip: The Boy In The Striped Pajamas
Background information of the movie: The main character, Bruno, is an 8-year-old boy whose father is a part of the Nazis. The family had just moved to the countryside because Bruno's father was assigned to control a concentration camp. While exploring his new surroundings, Bruno wanders to the camp and meets a young Jewish boy, Shmuel. Although separated by a wire fence, the boys secretly become friends; talking daily and learning more about each other. Bruno did not understand why Shmuel was there and why he always wore "striped pajamas."

   In the clip, Bruno has a conversation with his sister about what had happened at dinner. A Jewish servant, who also wore “striped pajamas” and Bruno previously met, was beaten after spilling wine at the dinner table. Bruno's sister explains why the beating occurred.
(Please, end the clip after Bruno's conversation with his sister in her room.)
Media Analysis
Jesus:
Upstander:
  After witnessing the treatment of the servant, Bruno wants to know why it happened.  His sister says that it is because the Jew deserved it. Going on for further explanation, she identifies the Jews as the "they" and the Germans as "we". She says that they are "evil, dangerous vermin," and how they are not good people. Bruno does not know the difference between the two and only sees them as human beings. Since his friend, Shmuel, is Jewish, he does not believe how Shmuel is supposed to be his enemy. Through his eyes, there is no we or they.
Media Clip 2: The Boy In The Striped Pajamas
In this clip, Bruno had bad news for Shmuel; he was moving away the next day because his mother did not think that her children should be near a place where horrible things were happening. Shmuel told Bruno that his dad was taken and had not returned. Bruno wanted to help find him and suggested to go into the camp before he left. 
  The concept of we/they is a way that people can identify themselves with or to others. It occurs in daily life, even without us noticing it. With we/they, there are consequences such as discrimination and separation of people. 

 


Critical Thinking
Critical Thinking
In order to become upstanders, we have to settle our differences with each other. We must be open to others and actually try to get to know them for who they really are. Judging people based on stereotypes contributes to determining who is the “we” and who is the “they” in any situation. After having this lesson, I have realized how this concept of we/they is clearly in my life. For example, my class identifies ourselves as “we” as do the other classes with their own. In doing that, obviously the other classes would be considered the “they”. We have also seen we/they in our study of the Holocaust. 



Media Analysis
Me:
Morality
(Christian Morality, 1/9/09)
Why is it important?
  Morality has to do with the way we live our life. It is a set of values and principles that guide our choices and determine what kind of person we are becoming. Morality differs between individuals and changes from one stage of life to another. There is the morality of childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Even cultures have their own moralities. Christians look to Jesus as the example of how to live a moral life. Christian morality is then based on gospel values, such as faith, dignity, or justice, which are Jesus’ values found in the gospels. Moral decision making involves relationships which can influence the choices we make. 

(Moral Maturity, 2/17/09)
Critical Thinking
Based on my own values, the decisions I make reflect who I am becoming. In my decision making, I want to make sure I follow those values on which I have been raised, such as to be respectful and kind to God’s creation. I have also been brought up on spiritual and community based values from school. I have grown in likeness to Jesus by wanting to help and serve the community. I have learned which values are most important to me. If I were to go against my morals, I would not feel like I am doing the right thing. I would not want to do anything that would upset people or anything that I personally think is wrong. Relationships can influence the choices we make and the choices we make can affect our relationships. For instance, if a close friend constantly tells you that skipping meals is okay, you might start thinking it is. As a result, you could start to lose the connection with those who try to help you get back on track. It is up to us to decide what we think is the right thing to do, and referring back our values can help. As Ms. Garcia says, “Make good choices.” This has actually stuck with me throughout the year and positively helped me make many decisions.

  Despite all Bruno had been taught about the Jews, he still wanted to help Shmuel. It did not matter to him if Shmuel was Jewish or German, he was his friend. By entering the concentration camp dressed as a Jew, in a way, Bruno became a part of the “they.” He entered a place where “they” lived and died. In choosing to disregard the negative things he was taught and do what he believed was right, Bruno was an upstander. No one would have wanted to help a Jew, but Bruno did. 

Reign of God notes - 10/3/08
Christian Morality notes - 1/9/09
Moral Maturity notes - 2/17/09
We/They notes - 9/24/08
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZ97mUnx3yk&feature=channel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUMrgTaAFtE&feature=channel