Shhh… It’s a Secret

Why are we so obsessed with secrets?

Think of the Post Secret phenom: hundreds of thousands of people writing their darkest secrets on postcards and sharing them with the world. Or consider the runaway self-help tome with the same title: The Secret. What’s it all about?

Author Anne Lamott sheds some light on the ‘secret obsession’ when she writes: “When people shine a little light on their monster, we find out how similar most of our moments are.” (From Bird by Bird, 1995)

The honesty of others gives us permission.

Lamott continues, “…when people let their monsters out for a little on stage interview, it turns out that we’ve all done or gone through the same things… We don’t end up with a brand on our forehead. Instead, we compare notes.”

Not to get all churchy or anything – but this description reminds me of the stories of Jesus moving about the ‘outcasts’ with ease. He gave people permission to be real – to be human – in a way the religious elite and wider society of his time did not.

In a controversial piece of Scripture, Jesus, who encounters a woman condemned for adultery, challenges: “They that have no sin, cast the first stone.” (John 7:53-8:11)

Jesus leveled the playing field.

Are there people in your life like that? People who have stood by you no matter what? No matter what dark secrets you’ve exposed? Do you feel free to let your guard down with them? If Jesus were here now, would you feel free to tell him?

(Image: Sculpture by Cliff Baldwin. Fulton Ferry State Park, Brooklyn, NY 1991)

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Originally posted on the SoulChat blog.