I am not afraid of the pen, or the scaffold, or the sword. I will tell the truth wherever I please. — Mother Jones in Linda Atkinson, Mother Jones (1978)

You never find yourself until you face the truth. — Pearl Bailey, The Raw Pearl (1968)

You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free. — Christian scripture, John 8:32

Talk about the quotes. What do you think they mean? Can you think of an example when knowing the truth could help you be free?

WHAT WE DID TODAY

Today's Big Question asks, "What is truth?" We explored this concept, and saw that there are different types of truth, including spiritual truth, which refers to our own inner ideas, our own personal answers to big questions like "Does God exist?" We talked about the messages—the morals—of stories like Aesop's fables and how these statements are truths. Our story was about Mahatma Gandhi and truth. Our WCUU broadcast showed a variety of spiritual truths found within Unitarian Universalism—not all the same, but all true, for those who believe them. In Wit Time, we committed to honor truth by refusing to spread untrue or harmful rumors.

TALK ABOUT LYING

Talk about lying in your family. Does everybody try to tell the truth all the time? Is it ever okay to say something you do not mean? What if somebody is dressed for a party and wearing clothes that you think do not look very good? Should you say so? If you say, "You look great!" is that a lie, a so-called "white lie"? Is it ever okay to lie about anything?

SHARED SEARCH

Take a short trip to a place in your community where truth is especially important. Is it a courthouse? A school? A congregation? Should truth be more important in some places than in others? Or should it always be equally important?

PHOTO CHALLENGE

Take a photograph that shows an important truth. Maybe it will show that you can find beauty in unexpected places. Maybe it will show something bad or good that people are doing to the environment. Maybe it will show how everybody is connected to other people all around the world.

FAMILY FAITH IN ACTION — SUPPORTING TRUTH

Get involved in local politics. Find out about elections coming up. Should youth leave such decisions to adults? Remember, whoever is elected can pass laws and make budgets that affect kids as well as adults. Do some research to identify the most honest and truthful candidates. Try FactCheck or the St. Petersburg Times' PolitiFact pages. If you find a candidate you like and trust, sign up to help the campaign. Maybe you can hand out campaign literature, put up some posters or make phone calls. Remember, good politicians can do great things. But they cannot do much of anything if nobody will help them.