Jacob Mauney

Masks: Why We Wear Them – Part 1 of 3

This post is part one of a three part series on masks. Part two is about why we keep masks on. Part three is about taking masks off.

Scripture

“There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.”
–Luke 12:2 (NIV)

Thoughts

“Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.” –from the Wizard of Oz
Often times, we feel more comfortable standing behind some sort of curtain or mask. We feel like there are things we need to hide or keep secret. We allow others to see some of who we are, but not everything. By wearing this kind of mask, we stop being real. Taking off the mask means being willing to take an adventure where the outcome is uncertain. It may seem scary. It won’t be easy. But let me ask you a question – What do you gain by keeping on the mask?

“Who is that masked man?” –from The Lone Ranger
Keeping on the mask shelters us from the rest of the world. This may not be bad, but it could keep us from getting to know people and keeping others from getting to know us. We keep masks on sometimes for good reasons. The Lone Ranger used the mask to help people, but it didn’t define who he is. The mask was a part of him that allowed to act differently than when the mask was off. In real life, this isn’t what happens when we keep the mask on. We were designed for something greater. Any mask we wear lessens this purpose and magnifies a much lesser one.

“A man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.” –Oscar Wilde
If I’m wearing a mask, I can tell you anything I want and feel safe. I get to define the mask. I become inwardly focused, not outwardly focused. This means that all of my interactions are more about ME than anyone or anything else. In trying to build anything worthwhile, it needs to be more about US, not me. Our focus needs to be in the right place. How can we talk about anything real if a lot of what I’m adding to the mix is fake? Over time, this won’t work. If we continue to be fake with others and ourselves, we become fools. We need to create a strong bond. This cannot happen if one person is bonding with a mask or persona that isn’t authentic. Want an example? How about most of the romantic relationships teenagers get into with each other. Girls wants love. Guys want something else. Girls are willing to do anything for love. Guys are willing to do anything to get something else. They break up!

“A mask tells us more than a face.” –Oscar Wilde
It’s a heart issue! The heart can be deceitful and can become a mask. The mask can, and will, take over the longer you wear it. The very things you seek to hide or keep secret become who you are. The mask no longer hides … it starts protecting the very things you want to hide and allows them to fester, grow and take control. Like breaks on a car (or just about anything else for that matter) – if they aren’t checked and kept maintained, they will give out when you need them the most. If you don’t monitor your heart and keep it maintained, it will deteriorate and give out when you need it the most. In essence, the mask begins to kill your very being.

“In my brokenness, imperfection, and sin, He whispers three holy words: ‘You are Mine.’” –Margaret Feinberg (The Organic God)
A mask is, essentially, a lie. When lies are allowed to fester, grow and take control – the mask turns into something more difficult to simply take on and off. The lies get bigger. The mask becomes a big part of who you are. The mask begins to control you. (“I’ll get you my pretty, and your little dog, too!) You, then, become controlled by the lies YOU created. No matter how dirty or messed up you get, you can always be cleaned up – or redeemed. However, this is not something you can do on your own.

We wear masks for a lot of different reasons. To choose to take off the mask is difficult. This is nothing compared to what the mask can do if you keep it on. This is where we’ll pick things up with part 2.

Imagery

One of the most famous masks of all time!

Sometimes, we need to travel through the darkness and be willing to shed the masks we wear to figure out where we’re supposed to go:

Our masks are often centered around the wrong person or pursuit, which can cause a Landslide.

What the world needs more than your mask is your True Colors.

Taking off the mask might be difficult, but you’ll get to the point where you’ll want to remove it anyway.

Coke Bottles

Here’s some thoughts on this photo.

Distinctively transform unique core competencies with timely e-markets. Proactively transform synergistic human capital before magnetic services. Phosfluorescently streamline effective schemas without pandemic action items. Uniquely aggregate stand-alone core competencies via multimedia based leadership.

Proactively productize cross functional methodologies for highly efficient e-services. Distinctively parallel task global growth strategies through best-of-breed web-readiness. Synergistically repurpose global growth strategies with focused human capital. Quickly actualize distributed methodologies vis-a-vis unique deliverables.

Chapel in Ireland

This picture of an old stone church in County Wicklo, Ireland I took in 2000.

Deserted Village – Achill Island, Ireland

Apart From Christ, We Are Junk

Even a Drop of Water Makes a Ripple in Still Waters

Closer to the Burning

Scripture

“For our ‘God is a consuming fire.’” –Hebrews 12:29 (NIV)

“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.” –1 Peter 4:12 (NIV)

Thoughts

This thought all started when I listened to the song, “Closer to the Burning” by Steven Roach. This thought really clicked within me after having my right temporal lobe removed in August 2011. If you ask a silversmith when he knows something is ready to be taken out of the fire for good, his response will be along the lines of, “When I can see my reflection, I know it’s ready.” When it comes to how God wants to use us in this life, He knows we’re ready when He can see His reflection in us. To get there, we need to draw close to His all-consuming fire. We need to draw closer to the burning.

There are many scriptures that tell us about the fires of God. To name just a few, God first spoke to Moses through a burning bush. A fire guided the Israelites by night. God’s people burned sacrifices to Him. When Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused to worship the gods of King Nebuchadnezzar, the king ordered the furnace to be heated seven times hotter than usual and have them thrown in it. They left the furnace without so much as a mark. This story teaches us something very important.

There is a heavenly fire and an earthly fire. Earthly fires often look harmless or even fun. Heavenly fires often look unappealing and different because we’ve either never experienced them before or feel they will suck the fun out of life. How can you tell the difference? Two ways. The first way is the dangerous way – to hop into the fire. Drawing closer to earthly fires, you will get burned – sometimes to a crisp. Drawing closer to heavenly fires, you will become purified and refined. It may not always feel good. You might not like the process. The only way to truly reflect God’s character and Word is for the impurities within us to be dealt with – like the process a silversmith uses to purify metal. The second way is to know ahead of time which fires are which. The only way to know this is by knowing God’s heart, character and Word. He tells us which fires to walk through and which ones to stay away from. Our sin is what gets burned in God’s fire. We usually don’t like this part. However, it is our hearts, minds, souls and spirits that get burned in earthly fires. Often, we want to keep our sins safe within us while still experiencing the promises of God. This usually leads to death – discomfort, separation from God, bitterness. No matter how dirty we get, God can always clean us up.

I can remember singing the song “Sanctuary” during a church service. I raised my hands and with tears rolling down my cheeks, I felt the warmth of God’s Presence. In that moment, I was able to worship God with all my heart and His fire filled my soul. I didn’t want to go to work after that – I just wanted to stay where I was. On the flipside, if someone wanted me to go somewhere I know I shouldn’t – even if it’s for a good reason – I would be choosing to play with earthly fire. The chances of me getting burned increases when I choose to play too closely to earthly fire.

In Exodus 35:3, regulations stated that there are to be no fires made on the Sabbath. No work at all was to be done and the penalties were harsh for breaking these regulations. God wants to be our Light, our Warmth, our Provider. If we choose not to allow Him to purify and refine us, we cannot experience His full goodness. God doesn’t want you or I to get burned. But – He does want to purify and refine us for His good and perfect will.

So how do we draw closer to the burning, without getting burned?

We need to constantly run after Him, even though we’ll walk through trials as part of the journey.

We need to constantly worship Him, even though we won’t always feel like it or feel it does any good.

God needs to be our focus, like training for a race.

God needs to be our destination, like reaching the finish line of a race.

Unlike the one finish line you reach in a race, it’s about the journey, not the destination. God isn’t just waiting for you at the finish line. He’s running the race with you! You can run into God’s open arms as part of the journey every day and in every way. And – if you don’t feel like you can get entirely to Him on your own, God will run toward you as well to pick you up.

You will experience one fire or the other. Which “burning” will you choose?

Imagery

“There is more land to be taken
There are more nations to be shaken
There’s more praise to be given
There are hearts to be awakened
And I don’t plan on stopping
No – not until we’ve gotten
Everything You died to give.”
-From Closer to the Burning by Steven Roach

In Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. Indy and Mary were spared from being burned when the Ark of the Covenant was opened. They had enough respect for God and awareness of their own imperfections that they knew they weren’t worthy of gazing into the Presence of God. The others wanted to gaze upon the contents of the Ark for selfish and personal gain. They got burned.

In The Matrix, Neo could choose to stay in darkness or be liberated – the red pill or the blue pill. Choosing liberation doesn’t mean a carefree, problem-free life. However, it is a life built on truth – eternal Truth.

“The road goes ever on and on down from the door where it began. Now far ahead the road has gone, and I must follow if I can pursuing it with eager feet, until it joins some larger way.” –J.R.R. Tolkien from The Hobbit.