Week 2, Uganda Be Kidding Me, Episode 598, Act Two


https://www.thisamericanlife.org/598/my-undesirable-talent

 Listen to Act 2, Uganda Be Kidding Me, 24 min:

Zora Bikangaga grew up in a mostly white California suburb, the son of Ugandan immigrants. But when he went to college, he decided to play a joke on his roommate that went incredibly well and at the same time…. horribly wrong.





Some of the themes this episode touches on are identity, striving for acceptance, unintentional racism, trust in friendships, letting people believe things that are not true, putting on a front or false self, and disappointing others.  



  1. What is the greatest practical joke you have played on another?
  2. How have you struggled for acceptance or wrestled with identity in friendships? Where and how did you find acceptance amongst peers?
  3. Have you ever led others to believe things about yourself that were not true? What character in the story did you most identify with?
  4. This episode also dealt with the problem of stereotypes, how people respond to them and play in them. How did you see these stereotypes at play: African American, white, Christian, wealthy, male, female?
  5. When the jig was up were you surprised by his friend’s reactions and the school’s reactions? His girlfriend's reaction was quite different. Did she reinforce any stereotypes in her anger?
  6. Who was she the most authentic person in the story?
  7. Read Galatians 3: 28. How do you understand this verse and what are its implications regarding stereotypes we encounter both inside and outside the church?




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Week 3, The Rise and Fall of Carlton Pearson, Episode 304, Prologue and Act One

https://www.thisamericanlife.org/304/heretics Listen to the Prologue and Act One, 30 min When faith and spirituality is based on fear and the fantastic, devotees often face a crisis at some point in their life. Fear can be a great motivator in the short period and many leaders learn how to use it to manipulate people, especially when it is centered around the reality of evil. But, in the end, fear is a failed way to motivate people spiritually; especially, it become increasingly poor at drawing people into a life-giving relationship with Jesus. This episode is about an American preacher named Carlton Pearson who grew up in this kind of environment and ultimately gave up on it and key elements of the Christian message in response. This episode raises important questions about how to be a church that does not manipulate people for short term “religious success” but instead sustains people in a life-long walk with God that can weather doubts and challenges.   1.  ...
Read more

Week 5, Wonder Woman, Episode 508, Act Two

https://www.thisamericanlife.org/508/superpowers-2013 Listen to Act Two, Wonder Woman, 17 min This is a really quirky episode about a real life – self-made – superhero. At first it does not seem like it could be real, but it is very real. Zora is a real woman from Minnesota who plans from a very young age to acquire skills, experiences and abilities that would prepare her for a potential career in the CIA. What list did you have regarding dreams for your life? This episode addresses the idea of testing limits, perfecting the human being, or just perfectionism in general. Zora’s is an extreme example of this kind of obsession. But can you relate in any way? How has perfectionism affected your life or self-image? When did you first begin to honestly discover your limits? Zora finally had to face extreme disappointment in her quest. How have you faced disappointment? How did you adjust? What was the outcome? One of the theologi...
Read more