Fully known and loved? Does anyone else struggle with believing these can coexist?

For years I’ve been convinced that to be fully known eliminates the chance to be loved. On the flip side, to be loved, we must ensure we are never fully known. Truthfully, I believe we all long for a world where authenticity is a reality and not just an ideal, but we’re paralyzed by all the indicators that appear to confirm our suspicions, and these factors only serve to exacerbate this erroneous belief.

What if we challenged conventional thinking? What would happen if we decided to be real? I have been teaching the adult Sunday School class at our church for about a year and a half now. The feedback I get is so encouraging, but it is almost never about “how good my teaching is,” (which, as I think about it, really hurts my ego). The feedback I get most often is, “I love your genuineness,” or “Your openness is so refreshing,” or “I love that you are just so honest,” and “I loved what you said because it shows me I’m not the only one who struggles with that.” My willingness to take that terrifying step revealed something to me – conventional thinking about authenticity must be challenged. The journey to authenticity is just that, a journey.

Over the next few weeks, I would love to walk this out with you. What does it look like and how do we get there? Until next time, I’d love to hear from you. I want to discuss some cultural factors that cause us to believe that a world where being fully known and loved can’t exist? What are your thoughts? What are some hurdles you see or have experienced?