Postcard Confessions

By Hannah Goodwyn
CBN.com Senior Producer

CBN.com – When I think of the word “confession”, my mind always goes to Hollywood’s portrayal of the traditional Catholic practice of sharing secret sin with a priest in a darkened booth. It’s a safe place where you go to get something off their chest.

In a similar way, blogger Frank Warren is listening to the secrets of thousands of strangers. A few years ago, Warren started PostSecret, a project that encourages people from all walks of life to anonymously mail their darkest secrets to him. He has received more than 500,000 postcard secrets that expose hidden thoughts and sin. Some are heartbreaking, while others are truly shocking.

These days, Warren is on tour visiting college campuses to talk about secrets and why we should share them. To get a sense of the man behind the movement, check out this video featuring Warren for an event held last year.

Warren's novel idea is thought-provoking and enlightening as it exposes the recesses of the courageous souls who mail in their secrets. However, there is a real danger here.

World, Please Forgive Me?

According to Proverbs, the act of confession is biblical.

People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy (Proverbs 28:13, NLT).

The PostSecret project gets the ball rolling, but it’s not necessarily headed in the right direction. As “healthy” as it feels to anonymously confess a secret, the process should not stop there. This verse from Proverbs says that if we confess our sin, then we will receive mercy – not from the world, but the Merciful One, God.

Confessing our secrets to each other isn't a bad thing to do. In fact, the Bible encourages it.

Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed (James 5:16a, NLT).

Ultimately, the forgiveness doesn’t come from sharing your secrets with a stranger or even fellow believer. God is the One with the power to take your shameful secret and replace it with forgiveness.

Humanism is Not the Way

PostSecret founder Frank Warren hopes his project will give people an opportunity to be open with themselves and accepting of others. This humanistic ideology is fragile because it has no foundation outside of mankind’s understanding of life.

According to Dictionary.com, humanism is “any system or mode of thought or action in which human interests, values and dignity predominate.”

At its very core, humanism is community-centered. Humanists argue that society, the collective group, is at its center. This worldview is narrow-minded because it disregards anything outside of humanity. God plays no part in the equation. We are self-centered beings. Naturally, we tend to focus on how life affects us.

Contrary to Warren's beliefs, the point of your existence is not to discover who you are. You can only fine ultimate personal “enlightenment” in God, and you can’t get to Him unless you have faith in Jesus Christ. He is "the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:16). If you want a sense of personal reality, get a hold of God. He is more real than we will ever be.

Hannah Goodwyn serves as the Family and Entertainment producer for CBN.com. For more articles and info, visit Hannah's bio page.