Secret tweet - an online confessional. Somehow sad, yet cathartic

Bishop Alan (who's blog has instantly become one of my favourite sites for a daily visit) posted an excellent blog post on atheism in relation to a site called secrettweet. I would encourage you to make a turn past his site and read the post.

I checked out secrettweet and found a number of very sad posts there. Something in my felt quite helpless. I guess there is something 'hardwired' into my person that longs to help people who are struggling and suffering. In some instances I wished that I could make contact with the persons who were posting in order to offer some encouragement, offer a listening ear, or simply offer the encouragement of knowing that they do not struggle on their own.

I suppose there is a healthy element to the site in that for some persons it is a catharsis - allowing them to name things that would otherwise eat them like a cancer. For others I fear that it may in fact be something quite negative, in that they share their secret and feel relieved to have done so, yet there is no real honesty about remaining anonymous. The secret still remains a secret where it most matters, i.e., in their daily life.

I prayed about some of the posts, and those who posted them. May each of us find places that are safe enough for us to be truly free, completely authentic, and not fear the backlash that our honesty may bring from others.