Revelation by Robert Frost
We make ourselves a place apart Behind light words that tease and flout,
But oh, the agitated heart
Till someone find us really out.
'Tis pity if the case require (Or so we say) that in the end We speak the literal to inspire The understanding of a friend.
But so with all, from babes that play At hide-and-seek to God afar, So all who hide too well away Must speak and tell us where they are.
My thoughts often return to this poem in situations where there is a desire to be known: church, coffee with a friend, small group gatherings, parties. I recognize that desire within myself to be known. Not just information about my life or my plans for the future, but more deeply than I know myself.
Our quest to be known hopes for someone—whether a stranger, a friend, or God—to see through the layers of culture and experiences and pain and pride. The only way that I have experienced even a small amount of that knowledge is when someone loves deeply. Only then is there safety to emerge from a hiding place. Only then can I begin to break through the layers of self-protection to see deeper into myself and be able to ask the questions that I previously did not know to ask.
How have you loved someone toward wholeness?
How intentional are you about knowing yourself and being known?