Studio252 Update : Compassion

There are bell ringers in front of every shop, boxes for toys for the needy at work, and food drives at the grocery store. It seems like every time we step out of our homes, we are bombarded with requests for a donation. So we smile sheepishly at the bell ringer, think about remembering to bring a toy to work, and hit up the self-checkout line. It’s not that we don’t care about other’s needs because we do—really. We pray for them all the time! But when we find an hour to do a little shopping, we simply don’t have the time to stop at every bell ringer. . .right?

Well, ‘tis the season to stop the excuses and really think about the word compassion. All month long Studio252 is devoted to helping you talk with your child about what compassion really means. We have simplified the definition to something everyone can understand: compassion is caring enough to do something about someone else’s need.

In other words, it’s not enough to simply care about others in need. We are called to do something about those needs. It doesn’t have to be the purchase of a toy or tacking an extra $5 to the grocery bill. There are hundreds of ways you and your child can practice showing compassion this holiday season. Here are just a few we have come up with to get you in the spirit of compassion:

  • Sit down as a family and watch Cassie and the gang at Studio252 learn a valuable lesson about what it means to show compassion.
  • Come up with a few fun conversation starters and use them to talk with someone at school or work who looks lonely.
  • Make room for new gifts by sifting through your old clothes, books, toys, etc. and donating them to a local shelter for women and children.

You can find all these ideas and more when you download this month’s materials at Studio252.tv! Each week is full of questions to get discussions going at meal times, a Bible story to read at bed time, blog entries from your favorite Studio252 characters, even interactive devotions to get you and your child thinking about what God says about compassion. Just go to Studio252.tv and sign up to gain access to endless exploration on our interactive website!

You can also watch the life app preview video below for more on the idea of compassion:

252 Preview: The Big Give (December 2012) from Orange on Vimeo.