I Wore a Mask to Church Today … again

For the first time in many months I attended a real, live church service! I’m visiting family in rural Illinois and churches have started to open up with all of the appropriate safety protocols in place. Before exiting the car I took a careful look at my mask collection and quickly chose the one with the big, toothy smile. “It’s perfect!” I thought to myself. “Everyone wears a smile in church!”.

As I walked by the guards, oops, I mean ushers, at the door I was greeted warmly and granted entry because I had my mask on and they loved my smile. The sentry at the next blockade, I’m sorry, I meant to say, the sweet lady at the hand sanitizing station, greeted me warmly and liked my smile but would not let me pass until my hands were drowned in germ killing gook. As I entered the sanctuary I found a safe seat and nodded my greeting to those sitting more than 6 feet from me. They all acknowledged my smile. While not everyone had a smile on their mask, we had one thing in common, we were all wearing masks.

Behind my mask I am a person filled with pain, fear, shame, anger, and insecurity but no one can see it … I’m wearing my Sunday mask. I am expected to wear my mask. A couple of years ago I went to a church without my mask because I was unable to hide my brokenness that day. It was one of the few times that I let my vulnerability show … what a mistake! I was immediately chastised by one of the members of the hospitality team. “Can’t you just smile for one hour while you’re here?”, he roared. Well, the answer was “no”. I learned something that day, I am expected to wear my mask regardless of how I feel; we all are. My need that day was to experience what is described in Galatians 6:2-3. “Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.” (NLT)

Some day I will risk leaving my mask behind again. If you decide to remove your mask, I pray I will be there to share your burden and wrap you in the love of Christ.