“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Matthew 5:14-16
During the most dramatic days of the recent pandemic, there was a great deal of debate about wearing masks. Some thought it was silly, others thought it was the responsible thing to do in a just society. Others, like me, thought if a business or organization wants me to wear a mask, I will. I called it respect.
Even though the days of mask mandates seemed to have passed for now, it seems that nearly everyone is still wearing a mask. This is not to protect us from an unseen virus but more from the unseen judgement of others. Most people move through the world as if they have it all together. A quick look at my superficial social media posts shows a happy, contented, and self-glorifying person. But for those of us who know them, we know that inside, they are a mess. I try to look confident, but really, I often wonder if I am really a fool who is being set up for a big fall. That is a big reason why I don’t do much on social media anymore. I could no longer tolerate the lie.
I confess to you all that I am a mess.
But Jesus loves me anyway. He loves my mess, not in spite of my mess. Jesus comes to work alongside me to clean and purify my thoughts and attitudes. He causes my compassion. Sometimes the Holy Spirit stops me and forces me to slow down and actually listen to the things that happen around my life. Too often, my ego gets in the way, so I choose to not surrender. But God is showing me that success in the Kingdom of God is 10,000 surrenders. Every moment is a new opportunity to surrender to the will of God.
Others put on the mask of victim. They act like they are helpless children but really, they are choosing to trust in the compassion of mankind. When God reaches out to serve the hurting and wounded, He does little for them, He does a great deal with them. Those with the mask want to pretend like they are not capable of doing anything. God knows different.
Put away that mask.
Others put on a mask of celebrity faith. They do what is often perceived as good, and then declare it to the world. When they give cash to panhandlers, they tell the world how good they are. When informed that the person they gave that $20 bill to used it for drugs that was laced with fentanyl, and they are now dead, they shrug. “I was just obeying Christ.” No, you weren’t. You were making yourself feel good and are at least partly responsible for that person’s death. They smile smugly and move on with a self-righteous attitude.
Put away that mask.
Shining the light into our community, we can see the ugliness that is hidden in the dark. We don’t like it much. It does not feel good. I don’t feel safe knowing that roaming the neighborhoods of our town are drug dealers, thieves, prostitutes and more. We don’t want to know that there are mentally ill people who don’t know that they are mentally ill who need help but won’t seek it. When we shine the light, we see lies, manipulation and more.
My friends it is time to shine the light and put away the masks.
