Definition:

A friendship occurs when two or more people are able to experience respect, trust, and kindness in their relationship. 

In short:

Build bonds that last forever.

Summary:
South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu shares a story about an incident in his childhood in which he learns about forgiveness. Desmond is enjoying a bike ride when he encounters a gang of white boys who call him a mean word. Desmond retaliates the next day by calling them names. When Desmond tells his mentor, Father Trevor, about what happened, he is encouraged to consider the consequences of hurting the feelings of others, even those who hurt you. Father Trevor says, “Everything we do matters…when we hurt someone, it hurts us, too.”Father Trevor explains that forgiveness is a way to heal your own heart when you have a conflict with someone else. Desmond is given an opportunity to put this into practice as he and the boy who called him a name have an experience of reconciliation. 

Lesson Objectives: 

1. Students are more inclined to practice forgiveness instead of retaliation when they have conflicts with others. 
2. This story can be a link to studies about South Africa and the anti-apartheid movement there. 

Guiding Questions: 

1. Find South Africa on a map. It is on which continent? 
2. What incident angered Desmond in the beginning of the story? 
3. How did he react to it? 
4. What did he and Father Trevor talk about? 
5. What does this mean to you?:  “Everything we do matters…when we hurt someone, it hurts us, too.”
6. Desmond observed something painful that happened to the boy with the red hair. What was it and how did it make Desmond feel? 
7. What did Desmond learn about forgiveness? 
8. Have you ever forgiven someone? Was it hard to do? 
9. If you forgave someone, were you still angry afterwards or did the anger go away? 
10. People do things on purpose to hurt one another, but sometimes accidents happen and someone is hurt. Did you ever hurt someone accidentally? Did you apologize?