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I read something today that struck me, so I’m sharing it here with you.

The most recent issue of Sports Illustrated includes a groundbreaking article. It is the story of Jason Collins who, with the publishing of the column, became the first American pro athlete to publicly declare that he is gay. This is not a blog post to opine on the significance of his announcement. Nor is it an essay debating the Christian response to homosexual lifestyles. In fact, Jason’s sexual preference has little to nothing to do with what I’m saying here. His announcement isn’t what struck me. It was a specific excerpt from it that compelled me to post. During the interview, he says:

“No one wants to live in fear. I’ve always been scared of saying the wrong thing. I don’t sleep well. I never have. But each time I tell another person, I feel stronger and sleep a little more soundly. It takes an enormous amount of energy to guard such a big secret. I’ve endured years of misery and gone to enormous lengths to live a lie. I was certain that my world would fall apart if anyone knew. And yet when I acknowledged my sexuality I felt whole for the first time.”

Wow. Don’t know about you, but I’ve felt like that. Most of us have felt like that. Just take “sexuality” out of the last line. Leave a blank there, and write in your specific word. Now read the paragraph again out loud. I bet it resonates. We all have pasts. Secrets. Scars. Wounds. Imperfections. Regrets. And most of us hide them away in the deepest, darkest corners. And in the darkness they grow. They get bigger. They seem uglier. And we expend great energy to keep them from the light. And in one way or another, they continue to wear on us. Influence our actions. Rob our peace. Interrupt our pursuits.

What I took from Jason’s story isn’t whether or not he should be proud to be gay. It’s that he was brave enough to shine light on the one thing he was most afraid to admit.

The next time you and I have something we want or need to share, something that we need to shine light on in order to be true to ourselves, I hope we’ll remember that everyone has secrets. Only the brave among us are willing to share.