Here's an an awesome object lesson that I use with my kids at camp - all you need is a can of fruit or vegetables, and take the label off...add a dent or two also. It's amazing what and how much the younger ones can come up with!
Put the can in the middle of the group and let the group examine it. Ask them to describe the can. Some may say that it's shiny, that it has dents, and that it has no label. Then ask how this relates to people.
Dents - of course, because we aren't perfect and we all have some sort of short falling.
The reflection...we reflect what people say about us. Some may say we're really good at something, and others not good and often we'll do just that.
Then the label. We don't want to label people. Only God knows whats on the inside, yet as people we know how to look on the outside. We need to train ourselves to look on the inside. On that same note, we need to get to know people and people need to open themselves up in order to really get to know what's inside. A whole different road can be taken in discussing what labels we have had, why we don't like them, etc.
Some cans may have a price tag on them, and one can touch on putting value on people needs to only be done if we really value them (because sometimes people don't get high value, when they really are). Everyone notices something different when they see the can. The outside is damaged, but the inside might taste good--we don't know because we can't see it. etc. What really matters about this can is what's inside. Is it delicious or disgusting? Who can help us to know? How are we like the can?
This is a really cool object lesson, something we can get from our kitchen cupboard. Great for group discussion and learning about relationships and judging. Source: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Flats/4746/lessons4.html
