Once all students are present, invite them to participate in a discussion.
- What would you do if your teacher assigned you to work on a project with someone you don’t like? Please don’t use names when you answer. (Answers will vary but may include: ask to be reassigned, do most of the work alone, work with the person but complain.)
- What if you were asked to help a classmate who you know doesn’t like you? How would you handle that? (Answers will vary.)
We’re going to watch a video about Daryl Davis, an African American man who engages in conversation with members of the Ku Klux Klan. His interactions with these people are all based on this foundational question: “How can you hate me if you don’t even know me?” Rather than choosing to hate those who hate him, Daryl begins dismantling racism through listening and conversation.
- How would you respond if you were in Daryl’s situation and chose to interact with people who hated you? (Answers will vary but may include: try to avoid a lot of interaction, be very guarded in conversation, etc.)
Play the following video for your students [1:14]:
Daryl Davis Combats Hate through Speech
Through Daryl’s radical method of engaging people who hate him in conversation, he’s been able to convince many members of the KKK to change their racist ways.
- Where do you think we should draw the line when it comes to engaging with or caring about other people? (Answers will vary.)
- Why is it so hard for us to care about some people while it’s so easy to love others? (Answers will vary.)
Jonah was asked to be God’s messenger to people who were enemies of Israel, who not only worshiped other gods, but were also known for their violence. There was no way Jonah wanted them to turn to God, experience God’s mercy, and be forgiven. Let’s see how that turned out.
