The Most Dangerous Weapon
Our words have power
by Becky May
Suitable for Key Stage 3
Aims
To challenge us to think carefully about what we say.
Preparation and materials
- You will need a toy catapult; some scrunched-up paper balls; a small, filled water pistol; and a gun that fires foam bullets. These should be concealed under a blanket. You will also need a Bible.
Assembly
- Welcome the students to the assembly.
Explain that today, you have brought in some powerful weapons to show them. Tell them that you have, in fact, brought the most powerful weapon of all! - Reach under the blanket, pull out the catapult and use it to fire scrunched-up paper balls.
After you have allowed time for a reaction, explain that you have another weapon that may fit the bill. - Reach under the blanket, pull out the water pistol and squirt it as appropriate.
Again, after allowing time for a reaction, explain that you have one more weapon to show the students. - Reach under the blanket, pull out the gun that fires foam bullets and fire it in an appropriate direction.
Pause to allow time for a reaction, and then comment that there are, of course, lots of powerful weapons that we wouldn’t want to bring to school or use! Nevertheless, you really do have the most powerful weapon of all with you, as do all of the students in the room. - Stick out your tongue at the students, before explaining that this is the most powerful weapon of all!
Tell the students that this small part of the body has the power to insult people, start arguments and even begin wars. It can put people down, make them feel bad and hurt them in a way that other weapons can’t. - Ask the students to think of a time when they have been hurt by something that someone has said.
Point out that sometimes, people don’t mean to be hurtful - they just say something without considering its impact. However, sometimes, people say things to deliberately hurt us. - Remind the students of the three weapons that you showed them earlier and explain that usually, these weapons don’t hurt people. Instead, they often lead to a lot of fun and laughter.
Explain that the same can be true with our words, if we use our mouths in the right way. We can use our words to build people up, encourage them, make them feel better and even heal hurt that has been caused before. Sometimes, hurt can be healed by a simple ‘sorry’.
Time for reflection
Invite the students to think about a time when words have caused pain or made something better. This may have been something that they said themselves, or it could be something that someone said to them.
Read the Bible passage from James 3.5: ‘Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.’
Explain that this whole chapter of the Bible is very challenging; it teaches about the damage that can be caused by using words in the wrong way.
Ask the students to think for a few moments about how this challenges them. Emphasize that we can make choices about whether to use words as a weapon or for good. To do this requires self-control, and it can be difficult to achieve.
Point out that if we do hurt others with the words that we say, we need to be ready to say sorry and make things right again.
Prayer
Dear God,
Thank you for words that build us up, make us feel good and encourage us.
We are sorry that there are times when we don’t control our tongues and we hurt others with the words that we say.
Please help us to grow in self-control, knowing when to speak out and when to stay silent.
Amen.
Song/music
‘Mean girls’ by Leanna Crawford, available at: https://youtu.be/ne49gZOIwgE (3.18 minutes long)
