I have a few rituals in my life that I do religiously. Read the PostSecret website is one of them. Every Sunday morning…without fail. PostSecret is a project that was started several years ago by a guy named Frank. Here’s the gist: people anonymously mail in their most secret confessions on a post card and Frank posts them to his website. You may think you have a good grasp on people’s inner thoughts and motivations. But until you’ve read PostSecret, you really don’t have a clue.
The confessions on those postcards are raw, unfiltered, and outrageous. But more importantly they are an actual representation of what goes on in the human mind. I know many Christians that see the “depraved” types of confession that litter that site as examples of lost souls pinning away for something more. I don’t. I think they are beautifully authentic. In fact, Christians could learn something about their own faith from them.
Occasionally, the confessions listed are actions of the past. But most of the PostSecret confessions are confessions of the heart. Here are a few examples:
I’m terrified of being a parent. I don’t think I could handle it if my kids make the mistakes my friends and I have made.
Every time I see your Christmas lights, it makes me want to punch you in the face.
I travel so much because know I won’t kill myself if I’ve already paid for the trip.
Being a slut makes me feel strong.
They are all secrets of inner fears, motivations, and desires. Christians should take notes.
In the church world, confession occurs when someone is willing to admit a past mistake or failure….and that usually only happens when someone gets caught. But PostSecret actually represents a more biblical form of confession reflected in James 5:16 says “confess your faults to each other and pray for each other so that you can be healed.” Confession is not about getting caught. It’s not even about accountability. It’s about honesty and vulnerability. Personality flaws, skewed motives, and prejudices…right out there in the open – before God and everybody else.
Anyone can say, “In the past, I committed adultery. I committed fraud. I committed acts of violence.” But the Christians who actually have traction with those around them are the ones that confess what is truly in their heart in the middle of their struggle:
I am a Christian.
I am also a notorious liar.
I go to church only for the business contacts I can make there.
I gain great satisfaction from watching coworkers fail.
I hate my spouse but I’m scared to divorce him/her because my Bible study group will shun me.
I want other people’s money.
I love porn. I will always love porn.
I’m afraid of God though the pastor tells me I shouldn’t be.
My children annoy me constantly. I look for ways to avoid them.
This is real life. This is Christianity: not “confessions” of triumph but accurate confessions of broken people who are on a journey towards wholeness. May God give us the courage to share our own “PostSecrets.”
