Secondary: Current Assemblies
AFRAID OF THE LIGHT: STAYING OUT OF THE SHADOWS
By
Brian Radcliffe
 Suitable for Whole School
Aim
To encourage students to raise their sense of self-worth for the benefit of the whole community (SEAL theme: Self-awareness).
Preparation and materials
Assembly
- Are you afraid of the dark? I’m sure some of you here may be afraid, though few of you may admit to it. Maybe you always switch a light on quickly when you enter a room at night, or avoid shadows along the street. You fear looking under the bed and never go out alone in the evening.
What do you fear? Films and novels give plenty of suggestions: vampires and werewolves, axe murderers and zombies. It almost makes me frightened just to think of them.
- But my more important question today is: Are you afraid of the light?
(Pause)
I don’t mean ordinary daylight or a well-lit room. But are you afraid of the spotlight, the limelight, the light that picks you out in front of everyone?
Some people love it – they enjoy being the centre of attention – but I suspect the majority of you would prefer to remain in the background, part of the crowd.
- What is it that leads many of us to underplay our value, to hold back from voicing our opinion or raising our hand in response to a question, to shy away from applause?
Sometimes it’s because we’re not entirely sure whether or not what we think is correct. We don’t want to look foolish in front of the rest of the class by giving the wrong response. Other students can be very cruel in their mockery and it’s tempting not to place ourselves in a risky situation. We have a fear of failure.
But even when we’re sure that we’re correct, many of us still hold back. It could be from a desire to avoid comparison with the very best or because we’re uncertain that we’ll be able to keep up the standard in future answers. We may be right on this occasion but we’re not sure we’ll be right in the future.
Taking the idea a stage further, there are some students who are extremely talented but prefer to let others take the glory rather than bask in the glow themselves. They feel proud inside at their achievement but don’t want everyone to be looking at them. They’re self-conscious, easily embarrassed.
Finally, it may be that we avoid the limelight so that others may take it. We’re happy to let others have their moment of glory. If we’d stolen it from them, then they may have felt frustrated, even humiliated. We are self-effacing.
- I’d like you to listen to some words from a lady called Marianne Williamson.
Reader (read from: ‘Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate’ to ‘You are a child of God.’ See ‘Preparation and materials’ for the website.)
- It’s one thing to be presumptuous, to assume we’re better, cleverer, more talented than those around us when actually we’re not. Usually such a response stems from a need to put ourselves in a position of power over others.
But what if each of us actually does display signs of brilliance, of talent? What if we all are sometimes gorgeous and fabulous? That’s what Christians believe. If we hide it, then we are not the only ones who suffer.
Time for reflection
Marianne Williamson continues:
Reader (read from: ‘There is nothing enlightened about’ to ‘we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.’)
If we can overcome our diffidence about shining, then it may encourage others to do the same. And that would mean a lot more light for all of us.
Prayer
Dear Lord,
thank you for the person you have made me to be.
I want to share all that’s best about me with those around.
Please help me to shine today.
Amen.
Music
‘Shine’ by Take That (widely available to download)
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