Feb. 24, 2012: Friday after Ash Wednesday
Bringing Our Secrets into the Light
We all have our secrets: thoughts, memories, feelings that
we keep to ourselves. Often we think, "If people knew what I feel or
think, they would not love me." These carefully kept secrets can do us
much harm. They can make us feel guilty or ashamed and may lead us to
self-rejection, depression, and even suicidal thoughts and actions.
One of the most important things we can do with our secrets
is to share them in a safe place, with people we trust. When we have a good way
to bring our secrets into the light and can look at them with others, we will
quickly discover that we are not alone with our secrets and that our trusting
friends will love us more deeply and more intimately than before. Bringing our
secrets into the light creates community and inner healing. As a result of
sharing secrets, not only will others love us better but we will love ourselves
more fully.
- Fr. Henri Nouwen
