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15 Apr: Unpacking the Heart
Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. Leviticus 19:34
Scripture Reading: Leviticus 19:32–34
Middle school teacher Karen introduced a powerful exercise called “The Baggage Activity” to help her students truly see one another. By writing down their hidden emotional burdens and sharing them anonymously, the students gained a raw, eye-opening look into the struggles their classmates were weathering. This vulnerable exchange moved many to tears and transformed the classroom into a space defined by mutual respect and a profound, newfound empathy.
This lesson in compassion mirrors a timeless biblical call. Throughout Scripture, God consistently nudges us to treat others with dignity and to meet them where they are emotionally (Romans 12:15). We see this mandate early on in the book of Leviticus, where God commanded the Israelites to show deep empathy toward foreigners. He told them to “love them as [themselves]” because they knew the pain of being outsiders in Egypt firsthand (Leviticus 19:34).
Life’s heavy lifting can often leave us feeling like those foreigners—isolated and misunderstood, even in a crowd. We might not always have a shared history to fall back on like the Israelites did, but we still have a choice. We can choose to offer the same respect and understanding that we crave for ourselves. Whether we are a teenager in a classroom or an Israelite in the desert, we honor God whenever we choose to carry each other’s burdens with a kind heart.
By: Clara Winslow
Go deeper on: Unpacking the Heart
Reflect & Pray
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.