Blog 8 Masks
I’m watching our neighbourhood transform into mounds of orange blow up pumpkins, spiderwebs and some scary stuff. The conversation on the school busses and in the parent/guardian’s huddle at the bus stop is all about what costumes will be worn, and who will be giving out treats. There doesn’t seem to be as much enthusiasm about the inflatable dinosaur costumes as there was last year.
It’s a season of masks and dressing up.
Sometimes, that’s a lot of fun. There are times when we like having a chance to dress up, do something different.
Then again, there are times when we have to put on a mask just to get through a day or event. When we have to appear brave, bold, and confident when doing a marketing presentation and we’re actually scared that we might have missed something.
When we have to put on a smile and hold back tears because we’ve just heard a comment that hurt so much, but reacting to it will only make the situation worse or put us in danger.
When we have to tell others we’re fine, and we’re not.
There are seasons of masks in our lives. While there is a lot of emphasis on living authentically these days, the reality is that sometimes we are not in a safe space to do that. Many in the world need to wear masks for self-protection, for mental health, for saving something of themselves until they can get to a safe place to express what they need. I get it. I’ve had to do that sometimes too, because we humans can’t always trust that there is a safe space around us in a given moment of vulnerability.
Here’s the thing.
In the way God sees us, masks are off. God in interested in you and loves you. Just you, just as you are. No masks necessary. In Jesus, there is a safe space, there is One who knows you and I deeply and loves us just the way we are, in the moment we are in. There is no need for a mask because Christ knows the real face we have and loves it. After all, it’s one of his best works. As a Friend who knows us well, Christ would rather see our tears, see our awkward smiles or teeth gritted in a moment of frustration than be looking at something we put over our face or heart, thinking we can hide.
In Christ, we are free of our masks, and living authentically can truly begin.
In the church, in this group of disciples trying to follow Christ, we are working hard to make our community a place where masks are not needed because all of us are loved for who we are, in the moment we are in. It doesn’t mean we don’t have boundaries when needed. It does mean that we can live authentically and safely, expressing needs for prayer or health or joy or hope or concerns or identity safely within this community because each person is created in the image of God.
So gently, gently, we can put the masks down because we won’t need them anymore, and we are seen face to face in Christ.
There is a great verse in the Rich Mullin’s song “Peace (a Communion Blessing from St Joseph’s Square)” that captures this, I think. It’s a song about one person inviting another to communion, to celebrate Christ’s life, death and resurrection even though the person inviting might not know what they other person brings to the table.
Though we’re strangers, still I love you
I love you more than your mask
And I know you have to trust this to be true
And I know it’s much to ask.
So lay down your fears, come and join this feast
He has called us here
You and me. (from the album “A Liturgy, A Legacy, and a Ragamuffin Band, 1993)
May you know and be constantly reminded of Christ’s love for you this week, just as you are.
Peace and blessings,
Susan
Photo and content ©Susan Kerr 2024. May not be reproduced or circulated without permission of the author.