The mask of piety that covers deliberate, hurtful acts, for example, simplifies reality and contributes to a “simplicity of denial.”  We cannot “dream a story forward” if the story being told is not recognized for what it is.
The passage argues that pretending to be pious while committing hurtful actions creates a false sense of simplicity and prevents us from seeing the true nature of the situation. We can't envision a future narrative if we don't acknowledge the truth behind the actions.