Why do people have different skin color?

Why do people look so different?

What is prejudice?

How can I help the world?

Are some people just bad?

Why do kids tease each other?

Goal:
To think about the human race as the rainbow race and to experience how individual efforts contribute to making a whole.

Materials:
light blue poster board or a long piece of white paper (44 X 66”)
poster paint or watercolor paint in red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet
paint brushes and sponges
one aluminum pie pan
bowls of clean water and towels

Preparation:
Paint the large sheet of white paper with a blue watercolor wash. Mix a small amount of blue paint with a large amount of water and brush or sponge it onto the paper. Allow it to dry thoroughly before touching it.

Make an arc on the paper (or blue poster board), using a pencil and string as a large compass.
Use the template to cut one or more sponges into the shape of a human figure. One sponge can be used to print several colors of paint if you rinse it out well between printings.

Activities:
Introduce this activity by saying something like:

People all over the world have stories about rainbows. Some people say there’s a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. They say if you could ever find the place, very far away, where it touches the ground, you would find that pot of god and be rich. That story comes from the Irish. Jewish people tell a story about the rainbow, too. They say the rainbow is a sign, a promise from their God that the world will never be destroyed. They say the rainbow first appeared after a great, angry flood that nearly destroyed everything. When they see the rainbow they know their God is keeping a promise made long ago. Here’s another story about the rainbow, and this one will help answer your question.

Read: The Gift of Color

After the story, say something like: We’re going to make a people rainbow. Sometimes the human race is also called the Rainbow Race because people come in so many colors. Even in our family, we have different skin tones. Let’s hold our hands next to each others so we can really see the differences. Like the people in the story, all real people have some color or we wouldn’t be able to see them. We are going to make a big poster to remind all of us that we’re proud to be part of the Rainbow Race.

Use a paintbrush to apply each paint color (one at a time) to the human shaped sponges. Then press the sponge lightly to the paper along the arc.

This session focuses on the most important theological concepts in Christianity–the crucifixion and the resurrection, For almost 2,000 years people have struggled to understand their significance. The most common interpretation of the crucifixion and resurrection is that Jesus died on the cross as a sacrifice for the sins of humanity, so that individuals might experience the saving grace of God and his living presence in their midst. This is a very difficult concept for first and second graders, and it may not represent the views of their parents or their Unitarian Universalist congregation. The story in this session is condensed in narrative form without seeking to interpret the meaning of the events.

Though our children have heard the story of Jesus’ birth and some of his teachings, this may be the first time the death of Jesus and the miracle of his victory over death have been addressed with them directly. It is a rich and meaningful story on many levels, and children will need time to talk about it and ask their own questions.

Although death has been addressed before in this program (All Souls’ Day), the focus on death is more intense in this session. It is Jesus who is being put to death, and the children may recognize that this is a very important story about an important person.

As children listen to today’s story, it is possible that some personal sorrow may be evoked, such as the death of a significant person in a child’s life. Reassure children that sad feelings are an important part of our lives–that no one goes through life without some sorrow. Reassure them also that there are adults who care about them and who can help them through the painful times. If any child seems to need special attention, be sure to alert a parent, your minister, or your religious educator, so that additional help may be offered if necessary.

Many Unitarian Universalists depart from Christian tradition in their beliefs about the events that make up the Easter story, such as the bodily resurrection of Jesus. The word "resurrection" means coming back to life after death. Most Christians believe that Jesus was resurrected and that he came back to life after he died. Most Unitarian Universalists believe that Jesus died and his body did not come back to life. Even so, all of us can find deep meaning in the idea that those we love live on in our memories and that renewal or rebirth is available to us during our lifetime.

The date for the annual celebration of Easter is tied to both the historical event of the stories of Jesus’ death and resurrection, according to Christian theology, and to factors associated with the spring equinox and spring festivals. In Western Christianity, Easter is on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox. In Eastern Christianity, Easter is on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox or after the end of Passover, whichever is later.

The biblical references for the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus are: Matthew 27-28, Mark 15-16, Luke 23-24, John 18-20, and I Corinthians 15.

People don’t die in a vacuum, but rather within the context of cultural patterns and expectations. As such, the events, and even the feelings associated with death can be influenced by the social preferences, beliefs, and behaviors of the primary social group. For example, rituals of mourning often reflect a culture’s belief (or lack thereof) in an afterlife and its understandings of the causes of death.

However, in most cases, while rituals may emerge from different belief systems,and the actual behaviors that make up these rituals can look very different, these behaviors usually share common functions and outcomes. We will focus on identifying and understanding these functions and outcomes during Week 2. Then we will examine the ways in which they signify the same underlying motivations.

First, we will look at the different ways in which cultures respond to death and dying. As you review this material, remember that rituals reflect both cultural expectations and mores, as well as the preferences and personalities of the family or individual. As a result, mourning rituals vary greatly throughout the world. None are better or worse than others as long as they comfort the bereaved.

The information presented in this section provides a basic introduction, and in no way covers all aspects of cross-cultural mourning traditions. If your students ask you something you don’t know, don’t be afraid to say so. If there is sufficient interest, you and your students can investigate the issue together. using the resources listed throughout this lesson, and in the "Teacher Orientation" materials.

BELIEF IN AFTERLIFE

Cultures vary in their beliefs about the permanence of death and the existence of an afterlife. These differences are reflected in the ways they respond to death, and, perhaps, develop cultural/religious traditions.

For example, the ancient Egyptians believed that those who had lived worthy lives spent eternity in "the fields of Yam," a land of peace and plenty. This belief underwent revision in later years, when worthy individuals were thought to join Osiris in the Underworld. To ease their journey, pharaohs, their families, and other nobles were buried with the Book of the Dead (to help them answer questions they would be asked before being admitted to the afterlife) and all the objects they would need to carry on their lives. Ordinary Egyptians were not permitted entrance to the afterlife, and were buried in simple, shallow graves.

The Aztecs of Mexico believed there were three separate afterworlds and that the nature of the death determined the soul’s destination. While most people were condemned to Mictlan, a fairly dreary underworld home, those who drowned, died of illness, or were killed by lightning went to the much more pleasant Tlalocan. Women who died in childbirth or were sacrificed, and warriors killed in battle lived in an even more wonderful home after death.

Many of the Hindus who believe in reincarnation do not grieve at the time of death, but rather see death as a transition to another form of life. Because Hindus believe that Benares is a holy city, a "doorway to Eternity," many believers try to bathe in the Ganges River running through the city before dying to seek liberation from the death-rebirth cycle. Buddhists share the believe that death is a passage of the soul to another–and one would hope, better–life.

Muslims believe in the Last Judgment, when visiting angels will question the deceased about their beliefs. The souls of the damned are separated from God and condemned to eternal torture and torment. The souls of the righteous, however, exist at the right hand of Adam for eternity.

The Baganda of Uganda believe that the soul becomes an invisible ghost who retains many of the characteristics of the deceased, and remains with the family. If these ghosts are not pleased, they can make life unpleasant for the living by bringing illness or death. The Baganda believe that two years after a death, the ghost will enter the body of a newborn within the same family.

The Hopi Indians believe in a different kind of ghost, a friendly Kachina who visits the village and brings good luck or rain.

In contrast, a few cultures, such as the Kanuri of Nigeria and the Navaho do not conceive of an afterlife, but believe that all life ends with death. (Many Jews and UUs share this belief as well.) However, the Navajo hold~that all but the very young and the old generate evil spirits, a belief reflected in their burial rituals. For example, people avoid contact with the dead body, which often is buried in a distant, unmarked location.

RITUALS OF MOURNING

Rituals of mourning reflect a culture’s belief (or lack thereof) in an afterlife and its understandings of the causes of death. In other words, cultures that hold differing beliefs about the cause of death and/or the existence of an afterlife will develop different rituals of mourning.

Nevertheless, most mourning rituals share common elements, and generally prescribe how people should:

• mark the occasion of death
• handle the body prior to burial
• "feel the feelings" of loss or guide the expression of grief
• answer the question of "why" or otherwise fit the loss into a wider context
• maintain a connection to the dead and strengthen relationships with the living
• mark changes over time

While rituals of mourning may look completely different from culture to culture, they usually help individuals determine how to address one or more of these needs.

Handling the body prior to burial or cremation

Some cultures have rigid rules about the way in which a body should be disposed (burial, cremation, being left for scavengers); and might even specify the depth at which a body should be buried. In cultures with such rules, burial depth depends upon the family’s social and financial status. Other cultures, such as the Ik of East Africa, stipulate that the grave should be located in a favorite place of the deceased, who should be buried facing the rising sun folded into a fetal position to mark his or her celestial rebirth.

Muslims are never embalmed, and sometimes are not even placed in coffins so that the body returns to the earth as soon as possible. Bodies are buried facing Mecca.

Hindus aspire to "moksha," or release from the long cycle of rebirths. When Hindus suspect that they are close to death, they try to travel to Benares, the gateway to liberation, to be purified in the holy waters of the Ganges. Those who have led very holy lives, and who hope to be reunited with God, are carried to the river after death, weighted with stones, and lowered into the water. Their loved ones blow into conch shells and sing to mark the joyous occasion of the deceased person’s reunification with God.

"Ordinary" people are cremated, and proceed to heaven or hell. They will be returned to life in another form; the quality of this reincarnation depends upon the quality of the choices they made during their previous lives.

Because the Navaho fear the dead, those who prepare the body quickly bury it in a distant, unmarked location. To avoid being contaminated with the evil spirits of the dead, anyone who comes in contact with the body goes through various purification rituals, including bathing, destroying any clothes worn during preparation, and isolating themselves for a period of time.

A few cultures, including some Aborigine tribes of Australia, Leave dead bodies in tree platforms until they decompose.

"Feeling the feelings" or guide the feelings of loss

Practices vary considerably. Some cultures, such as the mains Indians, sanction the open expression of grief. The bereaved lacerate their heads, legs, or hands, and wail loudly. Others, including some American sub-groups and the Modjokuto of Central Java, encourage self-control. Modjokuto mourners strive to achieve "iklas," a detached state of not caring. Still others, such as the Abkhasians, permit bursts of emotion only during the funeral.

The official period of mourning also varies. The Magars of Nepal mourn for 13 days, while the Kanuri of Nigeria sanction a 40-day mourning period. The Barabaig in Tanzania hold funeral activities for eight or nine months after the death, and mark the end of mourning by suffocating a black ox near the grave site. On the Trobriand Islands, widows are expected to grieve openly for months, or even years. Jews in this country have developed a three-stage period of mourning. Shiva, which is held for the seven days following the funeral, marks the time of intense mourning when family members do not leave the house but instead receive visitors who come to pay their respects. (This ceremony is called "sitting Shiva.3 A 30-day period of mourning follows, during which mourners wear black and maintain an attitude of solemnity. About a year after the death, the family holds an unveiling ceremony (during which the gravestone is placed) to mark the official end of mourning. However, the family continues to light the Yahrzeit candle for the entire 24 hour anniversary of the death each year.

Commemorations

Cultures also develop different ways to remember and maintain relationships with the deceased. Such customs vary from the relatively simple anniversary mass celebrated in many Catholic churches; to the Jewish unveiling; to the elaborate and festive "Days of the Dead" in Mexico, during which time the spirits of deceased loved ones are invited back for a visit. Students will learn more about this ceremony this week, as well as during the final week of this curriculum.

– This festive centuries-old celebration is a blend of Aztec and Catholic beliefs.
– It is celebrated in Mexico and Central America.
– It is held from the evening of October 31 through November 2 of each year.
– Its purpose is to invite the dead to visit the living.
– Mexicans traditionally believe that if the dead are ignored or uncared for, they may take revenge on the living.
– October 31 is All Hallows Eve, when the spirits of dead children are invited back.
– Children make altars to invite the spirits of dead children to return; these altars include food, toys, photographs, small "Pan.de Los Muertos" (bread of the dead) and candles to light the way for the visiting spirits.
– Often children place tiny toy skeletons or sugar skulls marked with the names of the dead on the altar as well.
– November 1 is All Saints Day, which honors a family’s ancestors; during this day, adult spirits come to visit.
– The traditional meal for this celebration includes tamales and tortillas.
– Larger altars for adult spirits are constructed and include crucifixes, incense, food, flowers, photographs, a candle for each deceased relative, and some favorite foods of the deceased.
– Fireworks signify the official beginning of the visit of the spirits; at this time, the church bells start tolling and will continue to for 24 hours.
– The day is spent eating and visiting relatives, taking some of the food from the altar to share with others.
– November 2 is All Souls Day, when people attend church and then visit the cemetery to decorate the graves of their loved ones.
– In the afternoon, the church bells stop ringing, and another round of fireworks officially ends the visit of the dead.
– The afternoon ends with a huge picnic in the cemetery.
– As night falls, families light candles at the graveside and reflect on those who have died.
– Often people tell ghost stories or dance "the dance of the skeletons" (el baile de los esqueletos).
– These traditions vary from village to village.

Unitarian Universalist beliefs and theology

It also is helpful to review the beliefs that derive from our seven UU principles, and to examine how they inform our thinking about death and dying. Students may bring some of these ideas to bear on their reflections this week and next.

• No one holds the ultimate truth about life, death, and the existence of the soul.
• We have the right to change our minds.
• We have the right to our individual opinions and beliefs.
• We believe that a deed reserve of strength exists within each of us.
• Every person has the courage and ability to contemplate the unknowable.
• Life is hard and loss is inevitable. However, hard as it is, life is good and worth living. Our job is to live on earth with truth, beauty, and goodness.
• God (however defined) is characterized by love, not ultimate power.
• We can and do draw inspiration and strength from a wide variety of sources, including nature, individual fortitude, and other faiths.
• There are no "chosen" people: UUs are no more deserving of salvation or preference than people of other faiths (or of no faith).
• Because UUs tend to accept scientific explanations for occurrences, most members of our faith hold to an evolutionary view of the creation of the universe, and do not readily endorse the existence of heaven, hell, or purgatory.
• As expressed by James Freeman Clarke in the 19th century, many of us believe in "salvation by character," in which UUs place greatest emphasis on the way we live our lives today here on earth.

UUs can help each other during times of loss by:

• Sharing our emotions, both pleasant and painful.
• Recognizing the wrenching pain of loss.
• Acknowledging differences of opinion in an atmosphere of respect and acceptance.
• "Walking through the nettles" with each other.
• Offering support through our caring communities.

Many UUs do not know if there is an afterlife, but respect an individual’s right to hold his or her own beliefs. Many people believe we realize the outcome of our actions while living here on earth.

During today’s lesson, students also will learn about UU memorial practices that offer support to the bereaved, including:

• Memorial services
– Focus is on remembering and honoring the deceased
– Personal life history of deceased is at center of service, with some discussion of the meaning of his or her life
– Readings, music, prayers often reflect the preferences or personality of the deceased
– Offers chance for bereaved to remember unique qualities of deceased
– Provides community of caring in which bereaved can comfort each other
– Usually burial or cremation precedes service, which is arranged to be convenient for family and friends
– Major purposes of memorial service are to appreciate our relationship with the deceased and to minister to each other in an acknowledgment of our shared humanity
• Candles of Joy and Concern
– Offers chance for church members to rememorialize their UU and non-UU loved ones
– Many congregations include this ritual during worship service on a monthly or quarterly basis
• Other practices
– Memorial plaques in hymnals
– Memorial benches, rooms, wings of church
– Memorial gardens

Regardless of the specific types of beliefs and rituals that cultures develop around the death experience, these rituals represent approaches to meeting certain needs.

Death, like birth, is an event which brings us up against the edges of our knowledge, up against one of life’s most profound mysteries. We wonder why people must die at all; we wonder what happens after we die. Is death a total ending or are we transformed in some way into another life? Death is the most ultimate experience we face and, as such, it is intimately connected to God or whatever it is that we call ultimate reality. Awareness of death causes people to turn back to face life with a totally different perspective. Concerns about death are an important factor in the development of religions.

The earliest humans buried their dead, often with something which might indicate that they believed the spirits of the dead would live on in some way. Cultures, such as ancient Egypt, placed a large amount of the energy and skills of their people into preparations for life after death, at least for royalty and the wealthy. In Christianity and Islam life is lived with the expectation of a lift after death. What kind of life that will be, whether a paradise or a hell, is determined by the quality of one’s life on earth. Eastern religions assume that one will have many lives though this is not necessarily positive. The goal of Eastern religions, such as Hinduism and Buddhism, is to eventually end the chain of reincarnations and ultimately unite with God in something like Nirvana or union with Brahman. All religions have ceremonies in connection with burial or cremation in which beliefs about life and death are expressed and the dead are memorialized.

Unitarian Universalists hold diverse views about what happens after death, from reincarnation, to some other form of transformation, to a belief that death is the end of any form of consciousness. But we generally have similar attitudes about the nature of death, as we can know it during life, and its rites. We have been in the forefront in changing society’s views about death toward a more natural acceptance, toward sensitive care for those who are dying, and toward simpler ceremonies which focus on the value of the life of the person who died.

Children have as intense an interest in death as they do in birth. Often their first experience is the death of a pet. Sometimes it is an older person, such as a grandparent or other relative, who is at at the end of a long life who dies. Occasionally their first experience with death is with other tragedies which are harder to explain.

Very young children may play "bang bang-you’re dead" or other such games without really knowing what it means, but true awareness of what death actually is can be a traumatic experience for young children. One primary age child, on learning what death really meant could hardly eat for several days. Some children deal with such concerns about death by role-playing dying; others make jokes. It is helpful for children to have adults who will openly and comfortably help them to talk about their concerns and who will answer them honestly and reassuringly. The story in this session aims to give the children a gentle introduction to death by placing it in the context of a person’s long and happy life. It also aims to connect death to the mystery and wonder that is God.

Connecting death with God is supported by our Unitarian Universalist principles which urge us to affirm the worth and dignity of every person, the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part, and by the source of our own experience of transcending mystery and wonder.