the movie life

in the best kinds of movies, there is no narrator.  there is no one to tell the audience the characters' pasts or thoughts or beliefs.  the audience must simply figure it out by watching how a particular character conducts himself or by listening to what he says.  and the actor must know and understand everything about his character so that the audience can see his personal story.  I wish that we could all live in such a way that anyone could see our stories just by how we are and what we do.  I wish we weren't afraid of showing people the real us.  I wish we weren't afraid of getting hurt.  I wish we didn't only feel safe revealing our true identities in art and music and writing.  I wish all these things, but I am guilty of them as well.  I write all these things that I think and feel and know, but I don't let everyone I come in contact with see the whole picture.  few are allowed the privilege of seeing all of me - my hopes and dreams and beliefs and my thoughts in their rawest forms.  this is a shame.  not because the world needs my hopes and dreams and beliefs and raw thoughts, but because the world needs sincerity and authenticity.  the world also needs love.  the love of Christ, specifically.  and how can we show the world the love of Christ if we're too busy hiding behind our prefabricated identities?  instead we should be displaying for everyone who we really are - the good and the bad - in order to display God's glory and grace.  I am guilty as charged, and pledging to start trying to live more authentically.  we'll see how it goes...