Breaking the Silence

I've always found it interesting that a recovery program that's all about groups and sponsors would have the word "anonymous" in its name.  It's not very anonymous to stand in front of a group of people, announce your name, and then admit to being addicted to alcohol.  But I wonder if some of the power of the program comes from the fact that anonymity isn't really an option.  The message seems to be: You think you're alone in this, that no one sees or understands your situation, but that's not the case; there are others who have struggled and found freedom, and they want to help you.

Sometimes I wish church services were more like AA meetings...  People could stand and share their struggles without fear of judgment.  Everyone else would respond with understanding nods as they think of their own struggles.  Once you shared your story, you would be paired with someone who would be your mentor.  This person would tell you their own story of finding freedom from addiction, how they're still learning to walk in the grace of God.  They wouldn't be a mentor because they had it all together.  They would be a mentor because they would know how far they had come and Who had brought them that far, they would know that walking in the truth of freedom is a daily process.

I guess what I really wish is that it would be easier for people to be real and honest about what's going on in their lives.  How many people go through life missing out on what God has to offer them because they're stuck in sin and pain and lies?  How many are stuck because they don't want anyone else to know what's really going on, because they fear that judgment and disappointment will be the reaction?  How many spend every Sunday morning sitting next to someone who is going through or has gone through the exact same thing?

There is power in the humility required to share your reality with others: the power to set you free and even the power to set others free.  When you choose to talk about it, you can ask for help and find the accountability you need to make freedom a reality.  When you choose to talk about it, you can help others to know they're not alone and that there is hope for freedom.

Of course, the reality is that this sort of honesty can't really happen in the context of a Sunday morning church service.  The trust needed for that sort of intimacy doesn't come from sitting and listening to the pastor on a weekly basis.  There's some work required.  You have to be willing to get to know people, to spend time with them, to begin sharing some of the small things before you move into the bigger stuff.  It requires community.  And it requires courage.  Someone has to have the courage to start sharing.  Someone else has to have the courage to listen with grace and not judgment.

So do you have the courage?  Whether you're just stepping out in the search for freedom or you've been walking in freedom for some time, do you have the courage to break the silence and share your story?

"Hi, my name is Katie, and I was addicted to pornography; as of today, I have been walking in freedom for 1 year, 7 months, and 21 days..."