Forgiveness

To demonstrate the importance of forgiveness.

by Guy Donegan-Cross

Suitable for Key Stage 2

Aims

To demonstrate the importance of forgiveness.

Preparation and materials

• You will need some large stones and a big teddy bear.
• Download the clip from Doctor Who in which the Doctor forgives the Master: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpcH0mxUcUc

Assembly

1. Ask if anyone has heard of Doctor Who? Is the Master the Doctor’s friend or enemy? Why? 
   
   Show the clip in which the Doctor forgives the Master. Why do the children think he forgave him?
2. Lay your stones on the floor, select a volunteer and ask the child to pick up and hold as many stones as possible. When they have finished, hold out the teddy bear and ask them to give it a hug without dropping any of the stones. 
3. Point out that the stones are like things that we don’t forgive. If we hold on to them, we find it really difficult to love other people. Thank the child and ask them to sit down.
4. Tell this story about forgiveness.
   
   A woman called Victoria Ruvolo was hit by a frozen turkey while she was driving in her car. It had been thrown through the windscreen of her moving car by a college student as a strange joke. She was so badly injured that surgeons had to rebuild her face, but amazingly she recovered and was able to go back to work.
   
   The boy who threw the turkey, 19-year-old Ryan Cushing, was charged with first-degree assault and faced up to 25 years in prison. Victoria saw Ryan for the first time when he was coming out of the courtroom. He stopped, choking and crying, and tried to apologize to her. He was obviously very sorry.
   
   For an intensely emotional few minutes, Victoria alternately embraced him tightly and patted his back as he cried uncontrollably. As Ryan kept saying, ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it,’ the woman he could have killed repeated, ‘It’s OK. It’s OK. I just want you to make your life the best it can be.’

Time for reflection

Forgiveness like this is not always easy. But it’s something that can change the world. God forgives us – every time.

Give children a moment to consider if they need to forgive anyone. 

Prayer

Dear God,

Thank you that you are so forgiving. 

Help me to forgive,

so that I can love other people better. 

Amen.

Song/music

‘Spirit of God’ (Come and Praise, 63)