There may be things in your life that you use to project a false narrative or pretense to who you really are. But pretending to be someone else by wearing a mask is not a game you can choose to play in this current environment. We are encouraged to wear a mask in public not to disguise ourselves but rather to protect ourselves and others.
I’ll admit it is sometimes difficult to know who is behind the mask. It can be like attending a masquerade ball or costume party where guests play a game to guess the identity of the others. The other day an individual passed by my office wearing their face-covering and I thought, who was that?
Let’s face it. We are living a new normal. Our mask wearing is not a masquerade party but rather it is the reality of the coronavirus epidemic and the measures we must take to protecting ourselves from contracting the virus. Some may have a stigma about wearing a face covering. Mask wearing does not mean that we are weak. Rather it means that we are smart enough to know that if we do not protect ourselves, we can become deathly ill to a virus that has no known cure. To rely on wishing or hoping you do not catch or spread the virus without face-covering is just ludicrous. Remember, “if you play with fire, sooner or later you will be burned.”
Wishful thinking is just wasted, valuable time and energy that could be redirected toward healthier pursuits. For example, when an addict stays clean, does that mean they are no longer vulnerable to a relapse? No, it just means they have filled the vacuum with something better.
Ask yourself this question: what about all those socially acceptable activities that masquerade as strengths, like perfectionism, materialism, judgmentalism, and status-seeking? There are many who would be ashamed to admit they have a weakness that they try to hide or mask. That is until they are praying to God for another chance to recover from a virus. Constantly dwelling on a weakness just reinforces it, whereas applying the words of God as a solution brings results. And the good news is, you do not have to do it alone. God is available to help you during these uncertain times. He said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in the light of day.”
So Never Give Up! Never Give Up! Never Give Up!
By Chaplain Ghosten
chaplain@lhp.net
