A self-described Preacher’s Kid (PK) stood before a sold-out crowd of strangers at Meredith College on Wednesday and said: “I hate my father everyday for being such a fake.”

It was a gutsy declaration to make at a formerly Baptist-affiliated women’s college.  And it was quite a contrast to another PK’s confession of joy at no longer being bound by somebody else’s expectations, of being free to be herself.

Giving people the opportunity to speak bluntly about secrets long hidden is how Frank Warren, creator of the PostSecret Project, punctuated his tour stop at Jones Auditorium. For me, the PK revelations perfectly defined the appeal of Warren’s PostSecret blog, books and tour.

He has tapped into the inner lives of people who are tired of hiding what they really are. Or of watching others pretend to be something they are not. Everybody hates hypocrisy. We want authenticity, warts and all.

Warren invites people to put their secrets on illustrated postcards, even on videos, and send them to a stranger who is willing to look. The secrets are raw, funny, sad, sexual — but always honest. Why not? It’s a one-way conversation. It’s a lot riskier to be that open with people who are part of our lives. What happens if we don’t like their response?

Maybe it’s better to get honest to God.

If we stop hiding and bring what we really are to God, maybe He will help us become what we were intended to be. For us Christians in particular, maybe it’s time our secret sins were secret no more. The truth, after all, will make us free.  (John 8:32)