radical transparency
In David Kinnaman’s book, UnChristian, he describes some the reasons that a new generation looks less favorable on Christians than ever before. At the top of their list: a lack of transparency. Kinnaman goes on to describe how Christ-followers can live their faith transparently, stating that even corporations today are aware of the need:
“Did you realize that some of the major corporations in America are now intentionally advertizing their imperfections, sometimes even pointing out in their ads the unvarnished view customers have of their brand? Ford did a series of online films that describe some of the challenges their company faces. They are trying to connect with skeptical people by being straightforward and clear about how consumers really feel. The April 2007 cover of Wired, a magazine about trends and technology, featured the headline, ‘Get Naked and… Rule the World.’ The story explained the trend this way: ‘Smart companies are sharing secrets with rivals, blogging about products in their pipeline, even admitting to their failures. The name of the game is Radical Transparency, and its sweeping boardrooms across the nation.”
Transparency does not make a person divulge all the details of their life, but does cause them to honestly admit that they are not perfect and sometimes struggle. This type of transparency is disarming and attractive to a generation that often is easily caught-up in image-based lifestyle.
May we set aside our hypocrisy, our pride, our image-is-everything approach to life, and instead live honestly and transparently before our spouse, children, friends, and neighbors, and our God.
Tags: transparency
