A Safe Place To Be Real
They say that the computer is the great equalizer. That we can all be what we want to be here. We can look how we want to look. We can say things here that we are afraid to speak aloud in the real world. We can be vulnerable, weak, open and honest. Or perhaps we can be completely dishonest. There are no rules here. We did not sign a document swearing to represent ourselves in completely accurate ways. We did not place our hands on a bible and swear to tell the whole truth. And yet, I feel that more people are honest here in this place then anywhere else in time and space. I sense truth. People speaking freely of their pain. People sharing deeply of their insights and wonderings. We talk about God in a way I wish He was spoken of in churches. Our doubts, and our weak faith. Our anger. Our love. This blog has become for me, an outlet of all that I can not share in my reality. My secret whisperings. My streaming tears. As I crawl under my quilt tonight, I will thank my Father that He knows and loves the real me. That with Him, I do not need the computer to 'equalize' me. I can be open, truthful, vulnerable, doubting, soft, weak. In fact He is the Great Equalizer. We are all lovely in His sight. We are His creation. He made us in His image. He loves us all, deeply, truly. What a wonder. What an awesome reality.
posted by The Faith Expedition at 11:04 p.m.
3 Comments:
Do you think if we got all the bloggers together that it would be a more authentic church community? Or would we still play the same games?
Why do we find it hard to be real with those living around us?
Sadly, I think we would fall into the same old patterns that keep us closed off from each other when we are face to face. Why is there honesty in anonymity? I'm not sure. Is it because those in the real world can see us in our day-to-day moments when we are reacting to life (not always pretty)and when we haven't had a chance to use the 'backspace key' to delete what we've said? Is it because we are hindered by insecurities that can't be seen on the computer? Like the way we look, or how much money & success we have or what kind of marriage we are in? In here, we can put forward the ideal of who and what we want to be. In here, anything is possible. I wish, in church, we could be who we are. Maybe, somewhere, such a church exists. I haven't found it yet.
In my life, and my church, there are times when it is like you described, when we hide and are incapable of being vulnerable, but I think it is more rare to be that way than open. Well, at least I think I am just as open in real life as I am on a blog. Is that because I'm new to blogs or because I just don't do the small- talk-fake thing very well. Interesting that this is the second time in two days that I've been reading blogs and came across this same topic. Well, not really about blogs, but about Christians being fake. I guess we have a unique church community and are currently dealing with some hard issues, so we have no choice but to be honest and deal with the hurts as they come. Could I be the only one who thinks the church you're saying you haven't found actually exists all over the place? I think that people really want to be real if each of us would just be that way back. If someone is being fake or hiding things, then you have to call them on it, not by being confrontational, but by modeling your ability to do it. But if no one does it, then there's nothing. Sorry for the babbling. It might not make sense, but for some reason it does to me. Wish you could come to my church for a while. Of course you wouldn't see it at the beginning. You have to invest in the relationships and be real, you know that though.
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