Lesson 5
Lesson 5 – COMBATTING UNSEEN ENEMIES
Teacher Preparation
Key Concepts
There are seen and unseen forces that influence our behavior.
Objectives
By the end of this lesson, students should be able to:
- Name some of the good and evil (seen) forces influencing their lives.
- Name some unseen forces influencing their lives, both beneficial and destructive.
- Verbalize some strategies to resist the evil forces influencing them.
Materials and Preparation
Five pieces of stout string or rope cut into five lengths of about 5 feet each.
Beginning the Lesson
Story
About 5 minutes
[For clarity, you may want to have a different person read the Volqert statements, found with Volqert noted in bold.]
The next morning Natalie, Derrick, and Sam were back in the manager’s office at World of Electronics. Sam was troubled by his unhealthy dependency on the Internet. Derrick was full of guilt over what happened to the cyber-bully. And Natalie had not slept a wink as she kept reliving the events of the night before.
The computer on the manager’s desk suddenly came to life. As they looked closer, a montage of visual images began to play across the screen and their facial expressions formed the backdrop for the video. Sam’s image was wide-eyed, harried, and unflattering as only the camera mounted above a computer screen can capture. Across his forehead and cheeks, Zombies were being mowed down by gunfire, and explosions kept reducing the surrounding buildings to rubble around his ears. Sam’s eyes darted back and forth as he chewed his lower lip.
“Wow!” remarked Sam. “Do I really look like that when I play Zombie’s Revenge?”
“You know the old saying,” laughed Derrick. “Whatever we gaze at we eventually become.”
“Yuck!” said Sam, playfully punching Derrick in the arm.
The screen was now filled with Derrick’s likeness. His eyes were half-closed and his mouth set. His chin was pushed forward, and his image grew larger as it pressed into the screen. At first, images of the cyber-bully and his friends began to crawl out of Derrick’s shirt collar and up his neck like some sneak military attack. But as they flowed around his left cheek they seemed to catch on fire and silently scream. The image of Derrick’s face took on a cruel look of glee and then froze. The scene ended with the bully spinning and falling from the top of a building projected on Derrick’s forehead and onto his chin where his body twitched and then lay perfectly still. The silence in the room was deafening.
Natalie and Sam glanced over at their friend as the scene faded, but Derrick would not make eye contact. He just kept looking down at the floor.
[Gasp!] The sound of a quick intake of air drew their attention back to the computer screen. This time the background face belonged to Natalie. She was laughing at something only she could see. She touched her neck with the tips of her fingers and shook her head the way girls do when they want their hair to fall a certain way. The image of a man’s thick fingers typing on a keyboard moved across her image. The index finger, with its short, jagged fingernail, hovered over the keys and struck the enter key making the real Natalie jump.
“What happened to you?” Sam asked.
Before Natalie could respond the screen image dissolved and Volqert’s voice read the following message as it printed across the screen—
“Thank you for playing Imagine This – Part 2.”
It did not take long for the three friends to realize what had happened. It was Volqert who blocked Sam’s Internet access, even at the Internet cafe. Volqert was behind the cyber-attack on Derrick, and his revenge. The entire episode was make-believe. And it was Volqert who manufactured the online predator stalking Natalie.
It was as if a curtain had been pulled back revealing what was going on behind the scenes. Relief washed over Derrick and Natalie. Nothing had happened. Like a bad dream you finally wake up from—none of it was real!
“But why did Volqert put us through all those horrible things?” asked Sam.
Volqert: What do you think your cousins would answer?
“I think Tony and Darlene would say they have been trying to make the same point all along,” said Natalie. “We tend to believe what we see without considering that someone, or something, might be pulling the strings. You know, influencing what is happening to us without our knowing it.”
Volqert: What if instead of me there was an Evil Puppet Master able to pull your strings and you did not even know it was happening?
“Are you saying it is possible that an invisible, personal entity may be tempting and manipulating us to our own harm?” asked Sam.
“Where did you come up with a question like that?” laughed Derrick.
“I read it on the computer screen. Right here!” pointed out Sam.
As the three friends look at the screen the letters making up the question slowly disappeared.
“Is there a Good Puppet Master?” asked Derrick.
Volqert: No, but there is Someone Who is good. Unlike the evil entity He is not interested in enslaving you. He cares about you, and fortunately, He is far more powerful than any Evil Puppet Master.
“Sounds like someone we should meet!” remarked Natalie.
Volqert: Oh, you will meet Him. One way or another, you will meet Him.
Volqert’s words echoed deep inside the three friends. Each wondered when that meeting would take place.
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= 5 minutes
Part One -
The Puppet and the string Masters
About 15 minutes
[Introduce the game by saying:]
In the story we just read, we learned how Volqert influenced the friends. We do not have avatars creating scenarios in our lives, but there are a lot of things both seen and unseen that influence what we do. Today, we are going to discover what some of those are.
[Ask for five volunteers. Give four of the volunteers each a stout piece of string or rope about 5 feet long. These four students will be the String Masters. The fifth volunteer will be the puppet. Have the four String Masters each tie one end of their ropes to one of the puppet’s ankles or wrists so each extremity of the ‘puppet’ has a rope attached to it.]
Let us see what our puppet can do. Puppet, I would like you to mimic the motions I do. String Masters, please keep your end of the rope loose, so you do not interfere with our puppet’s movements.
[With exaggerated movements:
• Raise your right hand over your head and then bring it down toward your mouth, yawn and cover your mouth with your hand. (The puppet should do the same exaggerated set of motions.)
• Sit down on a chair and cross your legs. (Puppet mimics.)
• Reach down and untie or take off your shoe. Then, retie your shoe and put it back on. (Puppet mimics.)]
Very good puppet! You are an amazing work of art! Now, let us try the same set of motions, only this time let us have two of the String Masters make their presence known. I wonder what will happen.
[Repeat the previous movements. This time, ask the two String Masters to interfere with the movements of the puppet.]
What happened when the two String Masters got involved with the movements of the puppet?
[Possible observations: Easy things become more difficult, perhaps impossible; ordinary movements cannot be taken for granted; etc.]
[Next, repeat the original movements, but this time ask all four String Masters to interfere with the movements of the puppet.]
What happened when more String Masters got involved with the movements of the puppet?
[Answer: The more strings are being pulled, the more difficult it becomes.]
[Thank the puppet and String Masters and ask them to return to their seats.]
Now, let us talk about the puppet and the String Masters.
How can we help our puppet overcome the String Masters?
[Possible answers: Cut or untie the ropes; make them aware of the ropes and how the ropes are affecting them; do something about each String Master, i.e., make him/her drop the rope or go away.]
How is this exercise different from the game Simon Says that we played in the first lesson?
[Answers: In Simon Says we were trying to follow the instructions. In this game, the puppet is fighting against the forces trying to keep him from following the instructions. In Simon Says, our behavior is up to us; in the String Masters, our behavior is being interfered with by something else.]
Would it not be valuable to know what might be interfering with your life and what strategies these interferences might be using?
[Answer: Yes, of course.]
What are some String Masters in your life?
[Possible answers: peer pressure, family expectations, drugs and alcohol, life circumstances, fears, etc.]
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= 20 minutes
Part two -
The Puppet and The String masters
About 15 minutes
There are a lot of different “strings’” that can pull us around. As you mentioned, some of them are things like peer pressure or family or school expectations. There are other invisible “strings” that have a powerful influence on us. Gravity cannot be seen but we feel the effects of it every moment. Right now we are going to examine the question: How might a spiritual enemy try to influence us?
[Have the students gather in groups of four to six. Half of the members of each group are on the side of the Evil String Masters—they are the Tempters. The other half of the group are trying to counter or find ways to resist the influences suggested by the evil Tempters. They are the Resisters.]
There are many ways Evil String Masters, the Tempters, can tempt us, but for our exercise we will focus on our THOUGHTS and FEELINGS. In other words, what kinds of thoughts or feelings could yank us around and hurt us?
For example, the Tempters might try to plant the thought, “I am tired and bored. I think I will eat all of the cookies Mom is saving for dessert.”
The Resisters now must come up with a viable way of defeating the tired and bored temptation, which led to the bad idea of eating all of the cookies. They might ask if this approach has worked in the past or does a short-term fix actually make life worse—like when you have to face your mother and answer for eating the dessert she had planned to serve at another time. They might ask if there are other ways to deal with boredom and fatigue that are not harmful and suggest taking a walk or calling a friend.
Some other possible ideas for the Tempter group would be the thought, “Nobody likes me. I think I will isolate myself and be depressed.” Or, “I feel so hurt about ____, I think I will _____.”
[Give the groups up to 10 minutes to come up with several temptations and resistance strategies and/or counter persuasions.
Bring the class back together and ask each group to share their best temptation andresistance scenario with the rest of the class.]
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= 35 minutes
Ending the Lesson
Discussion: Temptations and Resistance
About 10 Minutes
[Ask the class:] What did you learn about String Masters, temptations, and resistance today?
[Possible answers: Temptations can jerk (yank) you around; temptations are easier to come up with than resistances; there are positive ways to resist temptations; temptations drag you to a bad place; etc.]
Remember when Derrick asked Volqert if there was a good Puppet Master? Volqert answered saying, “No, but there is Someone who is good. Unlike the evil entity, He is not interested in enslaving you. He cares about you and, fortunately, He is far more powerful than any Evil Puppet Master.”
If the temptations are spiritual in nature, and there is Someone who is good and wants to help us overcome the evil tempter, how might He help us
[Possible answers: give us ideas of how to resist; give us the power to resist temptation; warn us of temptations; bring people to help us resist temptations; etc.]
This lesson today has been fun and has given us insight into the seen and unseen influences in our lives, to help us not get yanked around so much by life’s
Evil String Masters.
Resources
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= 45 minutes
Going Deeper
In our lesson, we looked at the seen and unseen forces that influence our actions. Now we are going to explore unseen forces in an ancient story that comes from the first book of the Hebrew Bible, what Christians call the Old Testament.
[Divide your class into groups of four and have them exchange places to sit together by groups. If the numbers are uneven, one or more students will need to play two parts.]
In your group of four, you are going to rehearse this story and then act it out for me and the rest of the class. There are four parts: a narrator, who tells the story; God, who speaks; a man named Cain, who speaks and acts; and a man named Abel, who has no speaking part, but definitely needs to do some dramatic acting. Before I tell you the story, quickly decide who is going to play which part: The narrator; God; Cain; and Abel.
As I tell you the story, pay close attention to what your character says and does. You may take notes if you wish. I am not going to give you a script, so you will need to organize the play as a group.
This story is about two brothers named Cain and Abel. Cain was a farmer and Abel was a shepherd.
One day, God asked them to bring Him their best gifts. He gave them instructions on what kind of gift to bring Him. They both brought their gifts. God liked Abel’s gift, but Cain’s gift did not get God’s approval. Cain became enraged. God spoke to Cain and said, “Why this tantrum? Why this sulking? If you follow my instructions for an acceptable gift, I will gladly receive it. And if you do not make a good choice, be careful because sin is lying in wait for you, ready to destroy you. It is out to get you, but you have to master it. The decision is yours to make.”
Cain was still angry and jealous. He went out to the fields with his brother, Abel. They had an argument, and Cain in his rage killed his brother.
God came to Cain and asked him, “Where is Abel?” Cain replied, “How should I know? Am I my brother’s babysitter?”
God said, “I hear Abel’s blood calling to me from the ground. I know what you did. Here are your consequences: Your farm will no longer be productive, and you will end up being a homeless wanderer because of your bad decision. But I will protect you so no one kills you like you killed your brother.”
[Note: this story is adapted from Genesis 4:1-16.]
Now, you have just five minutes to organize and rehearse your play.
[After five minutes, have each group come to the front and present their version of the story. When each is finished, thank them and lead the class in applause. If you have a very large class, you may want to pair groups of four and have each group present their play to the other group. If you have an uneven number of groups, you may have to have one set of three groups.
When all the groups have presented, ask the students to return to their original seats.]
The Path of Decisions
Let me ask you a few questions. After I ask the question, please raise your hand if you have an answer. Here is the first question.
What are some of the String Masters in Cain’s life?
[Possible answers: Anger; rage; jealousy; passion; etc.]
How did they pull his strings?
[Possible answers: They put evil thoughts in his head; they enticed him to kill his brother; they probably suggested the plan to kill his brother; lying to God; etc.]
What were Cain’s choices?
[Possible answers: What gift to bring to God; how he dealt with his anger; lying or not lying to God; whether or not to kill Abel; etc.]
[Draw a large V on the board. The left part of the V will be used to plot the path of decisions Cain made and their consequences. The right side of the V will be used to plot the choices he could have made instead and the consequences of those choices.
At the very bottom of the V write “a gift requested.” On the left side from the bottom of the V upward, begin recording Cain’s actions as the students give them to you.]
Our choices and decisions determine the outcome of our lives. Let us take Cain’s life as an example. I have drawn a V on the board. On the left side of the V, we will write Cain’s path of demise. What were Cain’s decisions in order? Record them in the order of their occurrence from the bottom of the V to the top.
[Answers: Brought the wrong kind of gift; got angry his gift was not acceptable; rejected God’s advice about an acceptable gift; killed Abel; lied to God about killing his brother.]
What were the consequences of Cain’s decisions?
[Possible answers: Homeless wanderer; failure; etc.
Record these possible answers at the top of the V above Cain’s choices.
Now, on the right side of the V, plot what Cain’s actions could have been and the consequences of positive choices, beginning from the bottom of the V and working upward. Take each of Cain’s negative choices and ask the students what a positive choice would have been. Record the positive choice on the right side of the V across from the negative choice.
What positive choices and actions could Cain have made that would have produced a favorable outcome?
[Answers: Brought the right kind of gift; rejoiced with God his gift was acceptable; followed God’s advice; loved and protected his brother Abel; was honest with God.]
Personal Reflection
How might this story be similar to situations of anger and jealousy in your own life?
Take a few minutes and think about how String Masters are pulling your strings. What positive decisions can you make so you are not mastered by them and so that your actions produce a positive outcome?
Focus Points
• There are seen and unseen forces that influence our behavior.
• Some of these forces are good and some are bad.
• It is important to recognize what is good for us and what is bad for us.
• It is critical to develop strategies to resist or to combat the unseen enemies.
Parent-Teacher Connection
For Family Discussion
Student, please explain to your mom, dad, or another trustworthy adult the String Master games you played in class.
Ask your parent or a trusted adult to share the unseen influences they see in the world, both good and evil.
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