Ready to use all-age parable – Freddie and the first-aid fiasco

“Hey Freddie! What’s that?” Jayesh pointed at a green shirt poking out of Freddie’s bag. 

“Oh, nothing,” said Freddie, hurriedly pushing the shirt down and trying to fasten the bag up so his friends couldn’t see it. 

“It had a badge on it,” said Chelsea. “Are you in the army?” 

“No, nothing like that,” said Freddie. Why had he left the shirt in his bag? He’d been on duty with St John’s Ambulance the night before and forgotten to put his uniform in the wash. 

“Well, what is it then?” asked Jayesh. 

“It’s nothing,” said Freddie, “just an old shirt of my brother’s. I used it to mop up the Tizer I spilt in my bag.” 

“You and your Tizer,” Chelsea snorted with derision. “You must be the only person in Manchesterford who drinks that filth.” 

“I’m surprised your insides haven’t melted,” added Jayesh. 

“Yeah…I must be stained orange inside out.” Freddie breathed a secret sigh of relief: his friends seemed to have forgotten about the shirt. 

“Hey, look at that old bloke over there!” Chelsea pointed over the road at a pensioner grasping onto the bus stop and wheezing. As they watched, he collapsed on the floor. 

The three friends rushed across the road as soon as the traffic would allow. They crouched down around the old man. 

“Hey mate!” shouted Jayesh. “ARE YOU OK?” 

Chelsea tapped the man on the cheeks.“ 

What are you doing?” asked Jayesh. 

“Well, it’s what they do on Casualty, isn’t it?” 

“I don’t know, I only ever see it at my gran’s house.” 

Chelsea looked at Freddie: “What do we do?” 

“I’ll call 999.” Jayesh got his phone out of his pocket. 

Freddie just stared at the old man. If he didn’t help the man, he might die. If he did help, his friends would know he was a member of St John’s Ambulance. He remembered what they’d said to Karim when they discovered he loved the Eurovision Song Contest – the banter was merciless… 

“Freddie! What should we do?” 

 

 

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 

•What would you do in Freddie’s situation? 

•Is it always easy to admit to liking or being something considered uncool? Why? Why not? 

•If you’re a Christian, do you hide it, or do you let people know? 

•If you hide it, what might happen if people found out?  

This story is based on Matthew 5:14-16. Read this passage to the group and compare Jesus’ story and words to this one. Discuss what Jesus might have been saying, encouraging the group to think about the passage in a new way.