The Baggage Activity 分担包袱
Dexu Xia
Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. Leviticus 19:34
Karen, a middle school teacher, created an activity to teach her students how to better understand one another. In “The Baggage Activity” students wrote down some of the emotional weights they were carrying. The notes were shared anonymously, giving the students insight into each other’s hardships, often with a tearful response from their peers. The classroom has since been filled with a deeper sense of mutual respect among the young teens, who now have a greater sense of empathy for one another.
Throughout the Bible, God has nudged His people to treat one another with dignity and show empathy in their interaction with others (Romans 12:15). As early in the history of Israel as the book of Leviticus, God pointed the Israelites toward empathy—especially in their dealings with foreigners. He said to “love them as [themselves]” because they too had been foreigners in Egypt and knew that hardship intimately (Leviticus 19:34).
Sometimes the burdens we carry make us feel like foreigners—alone and misunderstood—even among our peers. We don’t always have a similar experience to draw on as the Israelites did with the foreigners among them. Yet we can always treat those God puts in our paths with the respect and understanding that we, ourselves, desire. Whether a modern-day middle schooler, an Israelite, or anything in between, we honor God when we do.
Who around you might need your empathy for the burdens they carry? How can you “love them as yourself”?
God, You know the weight in my heart and You graciously unburden me as I put my trust in You. Help me to offer care and compassion toward those in my life.
要爱他如己，因为你们在埃及地也作过寄居的。—利未记19章34节
凯莲是一位中学教师，为了让学生学习如何互相了解，她设计了一个活动。在这个名叫“分担包袱”的活动中，学生们写下他们心中的情绪包袱。接着，这些内容以匿名的方式分享，使学生能深刻了解彼此所遭遇的困难，许多同学听了都热泪盈眶。从那时候开始，这个教室充满了一股互相尊重的氛围，这些青少年现在对彼此有更大的同理心。
在整本圣经中，上帝一再叮咛祂的儿女要彼此尊重，并要在与人交往时展现同理心（罗马书12章15节）。早在以色列历史上的利未记时代，上帝就已指示以色列百姓要有同理心，在与外邦人相处时更是如此。上帝说“要爱他如己”，因为以色列百姓也曾在埃及做过异乡人，深切了解其中的艰辛（利未记19章34节）。
有时候，我们即使身处在同侪之中，所背负的重担也会让我们觉得自己像个异乡人，寂寞孤单、被人误解。或许我们不像以色列人与外邦人相处那样，有亲身的经历可借镜；但我们还是可以推己及人，以尊重和理解来对待上帝放在我们生命中的人。无论对方是中学生、以色列人或任何人，我们这么做便能荣耀上帝。
在你身边有哪些人可能背负重担，
需要你的同理心？你要如何“爱他如己”呢？
上帝啊，祢知道我心头的重担，
当我信靠祢，祢便以恩慈为我分担。
求祢帮助我，让我也能以关怀和怜悯待人。