(5–8 minutes, easy set-up)
Learners will discuss how forgiveness can turn the scars of past hurts into pearls of wisdom.
Provide a strand of pearls.
Ask: What visible scars do you carry on your body? What reminders do those scars serve in your life? (Possible responses: I have a burn scar on my leg that reminds me not to touch a hot exhaust pipe on a motorcycle. I have scars from the surgery that removed the cancer from my body.) Ask: What types of scars are left behind when we suffer emotional crises? (Possible answers: We may be afraid to get close to others because we’ve been betrayed in the past; we may be angry or bitter about ways we’ve been hurt in the past.) Point out that sometimes people choose to undergo plastic surgery to remove the physical scars on their bodies. Ask: What role could forgiveness play in removing some of the emotional scars in our lives?
Pass around the strand of pearls. Then, ask: How are pearls formed? (Answer: An irritant, like a grain of sand, gets into the pearl oyster. The oyster lays down a smooth covering to protect itself from the irritant, making something beautiful from the experience. The irritant is not gone, but its impact is lessened.) Invite learners to discuss these questions as a large group or with a partner:
Conclude by praying that learners will recognize the pearls of wisdom God has given them as they have chosen to forgive the people who hurt them. Pray that God will give learners the opportunities to share that hard-won wisdom with others who are struggling to forgive the people who have hurt them.