Activity time: 10 minutes

Materials for Activity

• A copy of the story, "Hard Truths"

Preparation for Activity

• Read the story and prepare to share it with the group.
• Review the discussion questions. Choose those that will best help the participants share their interpretations of the story and relate it to their own lives.

Description of Activity

Read or tell the story to the group.

Invite the group to be silent for a moment to think about the story.

Begin a discussion by asking participants to recap the story in their own words. What they recall indicates what they found most meaningful or memorable.

Lead a discussion with these questions:

• How do you think Rev. Pettee felt when he found out his ancestors had owned slaves? Do you think he was sorry he learned that information?
• How do you think Pat felt when Rev. Pettee approached her with the information he had discovered about their families?
• Do you think Rev. Pettee felt love for his slave-owning ancestors? Do you think he felt love for the descendants of the slaves his ancestors owned? Do you think that knowing the truth about his ancestors made it harder for Rev. Pettee to love himself? Or, did it make loving himself easier? Why?
• Do you think it is always better to know the truth, or is it sometimes better to not know?