THEME OF THE WEEK: EMPATHY
ASSEMBLY 5 February 2024
THEME: EMPATHY
This week our theme for the week is EMPATHY – to be understanding of others
From Scripture
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God has forgiven you.” – Ephesians 4:32
“Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.” – Romans 12: 15
“Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.” – 1 Peter 3:8
A prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, grant me the desire and ability to love others well, even when they don’t deserve my empathy, and even when I am tired and juggling my own crises. Help me live out Your Golden Rule – to treat others with the same empathy I wish to receive.
Amen
Empathy
Do we actually understand what the meaning of the word ‘ empathy’ is? What does it mean to be empathetic towards someone?
- Empathy is the ability to see things from another’s perspective and feel their emotions.
- To putting yourself in another person’s shoes.
- Act with compassion and do what you can to improve their situation.
- In so doing, reduce the other person’s distress as well as your own.
Marshall Rosenberg says; “Empathy is a respectful understanding of what others are experiencing.” Teenagers, and boys in particular, are not always known for their ability to be empathetic, and can be selfish, focusing on themselves, and placing very high value on their own needs.
On the Good Man Journey that you are currently experiencing, you need to try put matters into perspective and do your best to appreciate the world around you as well as the circumstances that our friends and family are experiencing, and to be supportive. We know that College boys are very passionate and loyal to their close friends, founded on the brotherhood that exists in our school. Linking to the message from scripture this morning; laugh with your friends when they’re happy, and share tears when they are down.
The following poem helps put into perspective as to what really matters at the end of the day:
THE VALUE OF OUR DAYS
Ready or not, someday it will all come to an end.
There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours or days.
All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten, will pass to someone else.
Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance.
It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed.
Your grudges, resentments, frustrations, and jealousies will finally disappear.
So, too, your hopes, ambitions, plans, and to-do lists will expire.
The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away.
It won’t matter where you came from, or on what side of the tracks you lived, at the end.
It won’t matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant.
Even your gender and skin colour will be irrelevant.
So what will matter? How will the value of your days be measured?
What will matter is not what you bought, but what you built; not what you got, but what you gave.
What will matter is not your success, but your significance.
What will matter is not what you learned, but what you taught.
What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage or sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged others to emulate your example.
What will matter is not your competence, but your character.
What will matter is not how many people you knew, but how many will feel a lasting loss when you’re gone.
What will matter is not your memories, but the memories that live in those who loved you.
What will matter is how long you will be remembered, by whom and for what.
Living a life that matters doesn’t happen by accident. It’s not a matter of circumstance but of choice.
Choose to live a life that matters.
In closing
Our Bafana- Bafana did very well to win on Saturday and progress to the semifinals on Wednesday evening to play Nigeria. College is very proud of two old boys, Bandile Shandu and Ryan Moon, current First Division players for Orlando Pirates and Golden Arrows respectively, and who have represented Bafana Bafana in the past. We wish them every success.
I wish you all a very good week.
Pro Aris et Focis
Dr C J Luman
Headmaster