A few years ago I stumbled on a website called PostSecret. The premise is simple: participants anonymously divulge a secret on a homemade postcard and mail it in to the site, where they are posted online for the world to see. More than 500,000 secrets have been posted since the project was founded in 2005.
On the limo ride to the hotel after I made my vows to my husband, I texted my boyfriend “I love you.”
I want to be a super hero. I would use my power to take away your pain.
Since my affair, I don’t think God listens to my prayers.
I judge you by the news channel you pick to watch at breakfast.
In 1959, when I was 11, I wrote every obscenity I had ever heard in the wet plaster of a house under construction.
PostSecret founder Frank Warren calls the website a “community art project,” but it’s clearly much more than that. PostSecret is a modern-day confessional of sorts, where people can reveal their deepest, darkest secrets in a safe place, a place where no one will judge or condemn (at least out loud), a place where they can freely admit who they are, flaws and all.
Warren claims that the postcards inspire those who read them, help to heal those who write them, offer hope to people who identify with a stranger’s secret, and create an anonymous community of acceptance.
So here’s my question: isn’t that what the Church is supposed to be? A place where we can speak the truth about ourselves without fear of condemnation and judgment? A place where we will be accepted and loved, no matter our past or present, no matter how egregious our sins? A place where we can confess and ask for forgiveness? A place where we can find community, hope and above all, love?
“If you stick with this, living out what I tell you, you are my disciples for sure,” Jesus told his followers. “Then you will experience for yourselves the truth, and the truth will free you.” (John 8:31-32, Msg.)
Jesus isn’t talking about a PostSecret kind of confession here; he’s not talking about the liberation that comes with telling the truth. He’s talking about truth as love, forgiveness, acceptance, redemption and grace. Jesus desires us to live free in his truth, in his love.
I believe this. I believe in this truth, because I have experienced it personally. I know Jesus loves me. I know he forgives my worst transgressions and gives me grace, day in and day out. I have received the gift of real truth.
But I’m afraid, given what’s displayed on PostSecret, that I am in the minority. And I’m afraid people are missing out on the real truth, the truth of Jesus’ unconditional love, because the Church itself often stands in their way.
After all, how will people ever hear the message of Jesus’ truth if they don’t first feel loved and accepted enough to step through the church doors?
I am saddened by the fact that half a million people have turned to PostSecret as perhaps their only viable outlet for expressing their heart-heavy burdens. But I get it. The door is always open at PostSecret. PostSecret doesn’t judge. It doesn’t condemn. Everyone is welcome. PostSecret is safe. And I don’t think we can always say the same about the Church.
There is good news here, there is.
We. Can. Change. This. We can be the people who love and accept. We can be the people who welcome and embrace. We can be the Church as Jesus intended. Jesus’ truth has the power to set people free from any PostSecret burden they carry. And that truth is available to everyone, no exceptions, no exclusions. But first, we have to be the kind of people who won’t stand in the way.
Questions for Reflection:
What’s one small way you can open your heart to someone, perhaps even someone who doesn’t attend church, to let them know that you are safe, trustworthy and nonjudgmental? In other words, how can you be the Church to someone else who needs to hear Jesus’ message of unconditional love and acceptance?
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We can be the people who love and accept, welcome and embrace–just like Jesus! I love this, Michelle. I’ll be praying for it to be evermore true of God’s church everyday.
I love that I can go directly to Jesus to confess my deepest darkest secrets. I don’t have to post them for the whole world to see. Thanks Michelle for sharing such a thought provoking post and also for hosting the party today.
“We can be the people who love and accept. We can be the people who welcome and embrace. We can be the Church as Jesus intended.”
Yes! Yes, we can. Not in our own power, but in Christ, we can!
Oh, this so touched my heart, Michelle. The church should be the first place toward which to run, but so many are ashamed of their failures and shortcomings. The church should ever offer the compassion and understanding for those lost in the vagaries of this world.
Our Pastor Emily spoke of this exact thing today – to whom are we truly accountable? Only, the Lord. When we understand what Christ is asking and commanding and choose to follow Him, we will make fewer mistakes and fewer misjudgments. We will place Him first in our lives and open our hearts to others gladly.
Blessings, my friend!
Michelle, I have visited that web site — made me realize how thankful I am that I have a God who knows my heart and gives me peace. Right now, I am doing a short Beth Moore study with friends called “Sacred Secrets.” One thing she shared that has stuck with me is that we need to be “authentic with all, transparent with most, and intimate with some.” — When we try to “whitewash” who we are and appear “perfect,” we aren’t authentic. I think being real and letting people see our imperfections is the 1st step.
How sad that people don’t realize they can tell it all to Jesus. 500,000 is such a huge number — if we could all reach one for God! Maybe the first step would be making sure our place of worship welcomes and accepts each one that walks through our doors.
My son-in-law says I am starting to look just like my mother. – – – I don’t want to look like my Mom, I want to look like Jesus 🙂
Michelle – This post resonated with me as it reminded me of the sermon I heard in church yesterday. May we remember that through Christ we are given a new name, a new purpose and a new future. One of the points that was made was this: “Refuse to let the labels of your past limit God’s plan for your future.” May we remember that forgiveness is the beginning of ALL that God wants to work in our lives. Thank you for this post!
Dear Michele
Your post today reminds me so much of a book of Philip Yancey I have read; I cannot remember the name. But the story goes that he asked a desperate prostitute why she didn’t go to church. Her answer was that why on earth would she go to church. She already felt so bad about herself and the church people only made her feel worse.
Blessings XX
Mia
Oh my Friend, Michelle…This is so good. This so resonates with me. I have not been regularly to church in close to 5 years, for. this. very. reason. There are a pitiful number of masks being worn there every Sunday. So many people hiding, so many walls, so much fakery, so many expectations from others, so many empty people. Trying to be real, trying to be honest, trying to form a bond with someone…anyone…just did. not. work. for. me. I grew so weary of “keeping up appearances”. I bought into the whole thing of being the only ones with the truth. It left me judgemental and callous. And empty.
After leaving my church, God gave me a friend from that very church. She and I attended a conference together just this past Saturday, and we opened up our hearts and our lives and our secrets to each other. She told me she also looked and looked and looked for a friend there, but did not find one. She told me I am the only one she is unafraid of in opening her heart to. That said so much to me. I will never forget this weekend. I have no idea if and when I will ever return to church, but I know I have one friend who “gets me”. And I “get her”. “Church” has NOT been a safe place for me. I don’t “fit” there. I’m not looking for pity–I’m just stating my experience there. Thank you, my Friend, for your honesty. I treasure it.
Jillie, so good to read your here. I am sooooo glad that you found this friend and this Biblical release…..to confess our sins (and souls and secrets….or just plain share life), one with another. THat’s where healing comes. Could you possibly be the one to change the church, or else find a church were freedom rings? The Church isn’t perfect, but we need it. Christ died for her. You know me, and you understand that I am not preaching. I love you. I was just where you were for a year. I had left the Church. And then a friend came alongside and encouraged me to become involved in the Body of Christ, locally again. It’s Biblical. God honors it. A local Body of Christ needs you and your inestimable gifts, your great love and compassion, and your endearing empathy, so that you can help others not experience the pain which you did. I love you and am praying that your new friend and you become even closer and that you will find a Body of believers where you can be transparent and where you will experience love and trust. Not every church is the right church to attend. I am sooo glad for this beautiful experience you had. I had a neat experience at Allume, too, this weekend. It was such a special conference.
Muchlove
Lynn
A year or so ago, our pastor used this premise for a sermon – it was so powerful. I remember several years ago a girl from our youth group got pregnant at 15, her younger sister was dropping out of school and their mom (just two years home from the mission field) cried to me, “Why would we go to church? No one wants me, a deserted wife, and her two girls pregnant, pierced and tattooed to show up at their Sunday Service!” I will always remember her heartbroken cry. And, they received no support from their church. They did from Catholic Charities and from government organizations – the church knew them, knew of their situation. Did not help. I got to be in the delivery room 16 years ago when that little man was born to a young, scared mama. I wan’t to be the church that welcomes, hold, delivers babies unplanned and gives hope.
Yes, that’s what the Church is supposed to be! And you are so right that it is often us who stand in the way. Great post, Michelle, and a great challenge for all us to work on meeting.