The Meditation Garden of Truth and Reconciliation is a new addition. It features a brass sculpture titled “Thy Father’s Hand” by artist Garland Weeks, which embodies a powerful relationship to piety, suffering, redemption, mercy, forgiveness, and the possibility of reconciliation. The statue is a gift of Dora and James J. Reaves Jr.
The garden sheds light on the solemn history of Mepkin’s land, juxtaposing the dignified Laurens family cemetery with the adjacent unmarked graves of enslaved laborers. Land formerly inhabited, cultivated, and treasured by African and Indigenous peoples alike, it is designed to confront the complexities of history and lead visitors through a series of reflections that ultimately enforce the second commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39).
