Unmasking our masks
A mask, as you know is a covering that fits over the nose and mouth to protect against dust or air pollutants. Its purpose is to prevent infection of the wearer. For almost a year now we have been using masks. To be honest whenever I am in public, especially in grocery stores, the sight of people wearing masks feels like we are in a mega operating theater. Stores continue to have signs requiring shoppers to wear masks.
I remember sometimes going to the grocery store unshaven, which is very uncharacteristic of me, except this time, it seemed to not matter because I was wearing a mask. On one occasion, I even made an early morning run to the store for coffee for my wife without brushing my teeth. Again, the mask was my cover-up or so I thought. In my mind, I rationalized that my mask would conceal my unshaven and unwashed face and that no one will be able to see my “true face.” Of course the main reason for wearing the mask was for protection from the virus which caused this pandemic, but it also concealed my unshaven and unwashed face.
As we think of masks, we can acknowledge that many of us spend our lives wearing different masks or façades. We find ourselves not liking certain parts of our lives or fearing others will not and so we wear some of these masks to cover up those parts of ourselves. Masks hide our true selves.
I have personally come across people who wear masks to cover pain. These are the smiling masks people wear when everything in their lives is crashing down around them. Taking this mask off would mean admitting that we are not okay. It may mean having to face the possibility that there might not be anybody to help us. This kind of self-awareness calls for deep change. Because of the fear of failure, this is a challenge most people are not comfortable with. It takes deep strength to remove this mask, but it can be done.
People wear masks to cover shame. These are masks that show self-confidence or pride in material possessions, even when the person wearing them feels worthless. People use these masks to point others to parts of themselves that they like, or to help them notice the things which they hope give them worth. Masks like these serve as a distraction to keep outsiders from looking to where their flaws and shame lie. They pull people’s attention away from their true selves, from their humanity.
Scripture tells us that God loves us unconditionally and that we can come to God just as we are. Then, we can try to live our lives, displaying our authentic selves, even if it takes therapy and prayer to be able to do so. If wearing a mask becomes a burden, Jesus invites us, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30. If wearing a mask is to conceal evil, God sees it and we cannot hide this from God.