(This post was written by Evan Crass, Associate Pastor of Groups)

It has been said that the mark of a true friend is one who knows our faults and loves us anyway. A friend is one who I can be myself around without needing to worry what he or she is thinking. Of course, in order to reach the highest level of friendship, I have had to reveal more and more of myself throughout the course of our relationship. It is only through becoming increasingly transparent that I learn whether or not I can truly trust this friend-in-training. And being transparent is risky.

The alternative to being transparent is … being transparent. To explain, let me point you to a now-classic tune, Mister Cellophane, from Chicago.

If someone stood up in a crowd
And raised his voice up way out loud
And waved his arm
And shook his leg
You’d notice him

If someone in a movie show
Yelled “fire in the second row,
This whole place is a powder keg!”
You’d notice him

And even without clucking like a hen
Everyone gets noticed, now and then,
Unless, of course, that personage should be
Invisible, inconsequential me!

Cellophane
Mister cellophane
Should have been my name!
Mister cellophane
’cause you can look right through me
Walk right by me
And never know I’m there!

To be known is to be loved and accepted. To be unseen is to be lonely and disconnected, even in the midst of a crowd. Transparency is a good thing. Interestingly, you can choose to be transparent and reveal who you are to those around you, or you can choose to never risk and remain transparent to a world of potential friendships around you. So go ahead and take the risk. Be transparent.

Note: The Groups Ministry works to create environments where people connect with God and others. If you are ready to take a step towards transparency, contact us so we can help you.