It seems as though I'm coming up with a fair number of analogies lately. This last one comes as I should be preparing for my conference today and tomorrow.
Recall, if you will, the final scene from Bridget Jones' Diary. Bridget realizes her object of affection has just read her diary ... good and bad, with a lot of the latter. And what does she do? Does she trust that he will sort it all out, separating grain from chaff? Nope. She panics. She thinks that this inadvertent vulnerability is going to backfire. That once again she has done something to lose the guy she wants (and, whom may even like her in return).
Now, I didn't get this insight while watching the movie, but people relate to pop culture. I speak this to all of you; friends and family and strangers, guys and girls alike. Why is it so hard for me to be vulnerable, to tell people those deep bits of my soul, to risk it all? Sometimes I may not tell you something because I am scared. I don't want my secret to be the fatal flaw or the thing that makes us slowly grow apart. Because, well, it's happened before. So, here's my leap of faith: I will endeavor to trust you. Perhaps trust will overcome fear.
(This line of thought also reminds me of the Hamster Parable told by RLP.)