Masks

Grace, mercy, and peace, which come from God the Father and from Jesus Christ—the Son of the Father—will continue to be with us who live in truth and love.

-2 John 1:3

Today is Halloween, when people dress up and put on masks and get to pretend to be someone they are not!  But this is not just something that people do at Halloween.  We do it every day.

How many times have you said "I'm fine" when someone asks - when really you are anything but fine!  

People have a habit of thinking about how they want others to see them, and we act this out.  We become so good at it, and we work hard to keep up the pretence   Just like someone wearing a mask, we present our carefully crafted image to friends and families.

There is a word for this - hypocrite.  The word refers to someone with multiple faces.  In ancient times actors wore masks with with different expressions, and the term is linked with that.

I believe Jesus calls us to live in radical honesty, authentic living, and to drop our masks.

Rev. Troy Perry, the founder of Metropolitan Community Churches once said, "my closet burned down a long time ago.  I set it on fire - Amen!"  We all have our closets.  They contain lots of secrets - sexual, alcohol, drugs, porn, anger, pain, abuse or anything else you can think of.  Jesus calls us to set our closets on fire!  It's not easy, but it is worth it!

Our closets trap us.  While we hide our real selves in our closets, we live a double life.  Burning down our closets liberates us.  No more secrets, no more pretending, no more lies, just authentic living in truth and love!  When someone has no secrets, what "dirt" could someone dig up on them?  When you are yourself, people can accept you as you are - just as God does. 

There's a great song by Casting Crowns called "Stained Glass Masquerade".  The lyrics include the following amazing words:

...I tuck it all away, like everything's okay.  

If I make them all believe it, maybe I'll believe it too.

So with a painted grin, I play the part again, 

so everyone will see me the way that I see them.

Is there anyone who's been there, are there any hands to raise?
Am I the only one who's traded in the altar for a stage?

The performance is convincing, and we know every line by heart.
Only when no one is watching can we really fall apart.

But would it set me free if I dared to let you see,
The truth behind the person that you imagine me to be?
Would your arms be open, or would you walk away?
Would the love of Jesus be enough to make you stay?

I think that says so much.

Image: Google Images

Give to God what belongs to God

Jesus said, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.”  (Matthew 22:21)

Jesus' famous statement was in response to a question - a question religious leaders were using to trap him.  Was it right to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?  If Jesus said "yes", he'd alienate many (most?) of his followers.  If he said "no" then Rome had grounds to arrest him.


Instead, Jesus - as quick as ever - asked for a coin.  Then he asked a question. Whose image was on the coin?  Caesar's they replied.  And Jesus said, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.”  We are reminded that material things are ultimately futile.  But the idea of "image" goes way beyond coins!


If a coin bears Caesar's image, what bears God's image?  The answer is of course you and me.  Way back in Genesis 1 the Bible tells us God made us in His image.  Unlike a coin which is manufactured uniformly, we are diverse beings.  Yet all of us are made in the image of God.


So, we should all give to God what is God's.  As one worship song says, "so I'll stand with arms high and heart abandoned, in awe of the one who gave it all.  I'll stand, my soul Lord to you surrendered, all I am is yours".  Amen!


Image: Google Images