Brian Williams…say it ain’t so! Fans of NBC Nightly News were everything from sad to outraged over the news that Brian Williams had exaggerated an account of a 2003 helicopter ride in Iraq. Williams has been suspended from the news broadcast for six months without pay. He was one of the most popular new anchors in the country, and now questions are swirling around his reporting on everything from the war in Iraq to Hurricane Katrina.

Williams has broken people’s trust. And that can be a hard thing for anyone to recover from, and most especially a journalist charged with reporting the facts. Ask young adults about their reaction to the story and how they reconcile any ill-will against Williams with our faith’s call to forgive:

• What’s your reaction to the news that Brian Williams lied about his experience aboard a helicopter in Iraq in 2003?
• Has someone ever done something to make you lose your trust in them? What did they do to win it back?
• Have you ever lost someone’s trust? How did you win it back?
• What role do you think grace and forgiveness play in Williams’ story?
• How willing are you to forgive when someone has upset you?