Masks have long been a part of human culture. People wear masks to impersonate characters
in a play or scary creatures that would frighten off even scarier demons. We wear masks for
fun during holidays or at parties. On Halloween night the streets are full of children wearing an
amazing array of beautiful, colorful, funny, inventive and spooky costumes with masks or
painted faces to transform themselves from children to their fantasies.
During the COVID pandemic we all became accustomed to surgical masks that obscured
people’s faces. I know that I met several people while we were both wearing masks that I did
not even recognize once it was safe to uncover our whole faces again!
There are other masks that we wear to disguise our true identity, our beliefs, dreams and
feelings, in order to fit in and look like everyone else around us. We want to protect ourselves
from sticking out and being rejected or becoming the object of scorn and humiliation. Perhaps
we don’t want our heart broken if we would dare to share our true self with the world.
Unfortunately, the flip side of wearing a mask is that we don’t share our authentic Self with the
world. What would happen if we drop our masks and let our light be seen?
Jesus likened hiding behind a mask to lighting a candle and putting it under a basket rather than
out on a stand to give light to everyone in the house. He admonished his followers to “Let your
light so shine before men, that they may see your good deeds, and praise your Father in
heaven.” (Matthew 5:15-16, NIV)
Remember that we are each an individualized expression of the One Life that is God. How
could our authentic Self be anything other than a glorious expression of Love, Wholeness and
Light for the world? Only by dropping our masks can we reveal our true Self and share our light
with the world.
And yet dropping our masks can be scary and challenging. Join us this Sunday as we
courageously allow ourselves to be vulnerable and practice dropping our masks, discovering the
wonderful wholeness of our authentic Self within and sharing our unique and wonderful Self
with the world.
Love and light,
Rev. Pam
