Bare Your Soul, Share Your Truth, Don't Be Afraid

"My faith is personal.  I don't need to talk about it in public."  

I've heard that phrase or something like it dozens of times over the course of the last twenty years of ministry.  

I get it.  Sometimes I wish that the judge-y, church-y people who are always going on and on about their faith in public would keep their ideas to themselves.  

I'm sure that same desire causes a lot of people to decide to keep their life of faith private and girded against critique and controversy.  But when we choose the path of least resistance, we often miss out on opportunities to speak grace and peace and life into the universe.  

And in case you haven't been paying attention, the universe needs some grace, peace, and life right about now.  To put it quite simply, if those of us who have that kind of message to share keep quiet... people will listen to whoever is talking.  

And no one wants that. Trust me. 

It's hard to put yourself out there.  I get that, too.  It's hard to know exactly what to say and what to share.  It's hard to know how it will be received.  But if we are going to change the world by speaking life into it, we need to be willing to risk it. 

I read this amazing line from poet Billy Collins' poem "Aimless Love" the other day and I've been thinking about it ever since.  It speaks of the feeling that comes when you bare your soul and share your story in spite of your fear:  

But my heart is always propped upin a field on its tripod,ready for the next arrow.  

If we are to be true and faithful witnesses to the miracle of Christ that is springing up within us and around us, we can no longer be afraid to share our truth in love.  The world needs to hear that there is a better way.  

May the grace and peace (and life) of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you now and always. Amen.