Gò0dNews for Everyone
Who’s Behind Your Mask?
L
by Rhonda Beavers
ittering has always been a problem in this
Many people believe that every appearance at church
throwaway society we live in. Water bottles,
earns them a coupon for a free “get rid of my sin”
cigarette butts, store receipts—the list goes on
spiritual mask. The adulterer covers the lips that kissed
and on. The anti-littering laws of the 1960s curbed this
his mistress the night before with his mask. The drunk wears his spiritual mask to cover the stink of whiskey.
national blight, but a new surge of refuse has begun
The liar veils her false words with a virtual mask, and the
with all the personal protective equipment we must
coveter spoils his mask with the drool of envy.
utilize to survive this modern-day pandemic we find
We also wear spiritual gloves and gowns so that
ourselves in. Parking lots are now frequently strewn with both disposable and handmade masks as well as latex gloves in all colors of the rainbow. After these articles have served their purpose to protect us from contamination, they are eagerly abandoned. Aside from the clutter of the landscape, there is something else that disturbs me even more about the obligatory masks. With myself and others wearing them, I cannot tell if someone is smiling at me, and I worry that
we do not contaminate our church persona with the
I am being rude by not returning the smile. Then again,
plague of our weekday sins that lie underneath.
how could I return it with my own mask in place? It's
We discard these masks, gloves, and gowns when
not only smiles that are concealed; it could be a frown,
we leave home, when we leave church, or when we
a sneer, or even a rudely protruding tongue. We cannot
think we have left the presence of the Lord. We become
know what truly lies behind the mask. It is even difficult
unrecognizable to those who think they know us best.
to recognize those we have known for years when twothirds of their face is covered. These literal masks are not unlike the spiritual masks we wear in public, in church, or even at home sometimes.
30 // October 2020
It is said that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Perhaps that road is also littered with our discarded Sunday best masks and gloves. Who are you hiding from?
