Like they say, I would like to have a penny – with inflation make that a dollar for each time I have heard someone (insert appropriate word – wife, husband, friend, colleague, candidate or word of your choice) say ‘if you knew (him/her) like I do’. This avalanche of statements trying to let me know that what I see in whomever the remark might be being applied too, makes me wonder why is it that the person I have encountered is different than the person with whom I evidently am not acquainted.
Thankfully Halloween arrived in time to give me a possible solution to my quandary. It seems that even though we all accept the wearing of masks to disguise who we really are and therefore, have license to take on the characteristics of the mask, is understood during this spooky season. However, most of us seem to have masks and characteristics we unconsciously and automatically put on depending on the group and/or occasion with which we might be involved with.
For most of us the training for this constant changing of masks or switching of our personalities and behaviors started very early and continues throughout our lives.
Having found comfort with our favorite digit, we very early learned that there would be times when doing this activity was frowned upon when people outside the immediate family were present.
When we tagged along to the grocery store we found that the long racetrack isles were not for running even though we were outside of the house.
Entering school was a real mask changer. In this place one could not get up and move when the hardness of the seat became unbearable. It was required that we do things exactly as the teacher instructed. The cute things which were smiled and laughed at in our homes were now reasons for a visit to the principal’s office.
During the teenage years the masks had to be quickly changed when we were with friends and then quickly changed back as we returned home. Cruelly, we also discovered that certain mask changes were required depending on which friends we might be hanging with.
As the changes of maturation continued we found that masks needed to be changed when we were in church, went to a dance, were involved in a sports activity, speaking publicly or sharing a secret.
The requirement to constantly be changing masks seems endless and leaves us with little doubt why most of us, if not all, occasionally slip up and do something really stupid in the wrong place, with the wrong group or at the wrong time.
The apostle James was evidently aware of this propensity we share to act different parts in different places and his writings seem to indicate that he didn't think it was a positive characteristic. James stated his bias against the wearing of masks in these words:
He that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. (James 1:6)
A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. (James 1:8)
I suspect the biggest danger that comes from having a closet full of masks, which we change more often than we take a drink during the day, is that there is always a danger that somewhere along the line we might lose the realization of who we really are.
Jack Rushton, a wonderful man who I hope will always consider me his friend, says that one of the greatest gifts he ever received was when he was allowed by the Lord to see, and I therefore assume, know, who he really is.
Somehow in the magnificent miracle of going through His Infinite Atonement the Lord Jesus the Christ came to know us far beyond our mask changing derived confusion allows us to know ourselves.
The Lord once told Thomas B. Marsh, I know your heart and have heard your prayers. The Lord included in this revelation some details which probably made useless several of the masks in Thomas’ closet, or at least the donning of them became silly.
Most interesting to me was the counsel he gave Thomas after revealing to him His extensive knowledge of who He knew him to be. Be not partial towards them in love above many others, but let thy love be for them as for thyself; and let thy love abound unto all men, and unto all who love my name. (Doctrine and Covenants 112:11)
My pondering on the masks in my closet and the counsel of the Lord to Thomas, led me to believe that the Lord might be saying – if you can ever learn to really love all your brothers and sisters the discarding of masks may follow. It may be possible that they will even fall off without our having taken any other action.
I pray and long for the day when the Lord might let me have a glimpse of who I really am. As this understanding slowly unfolds I pray that I will have the wisdom to act on the blessed revelation and go forth eliminating those masks which cause so much confusion as I interact with the various groups of my world.
Until I have this eternal perspective I hope I will be able to remove some of my masks by attempting to let my love abound unto all men.
What a wonderful, honest world it would be, if masks were only worn during the Halloween season.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I'm catching up on the mail again...If we could always be depended upon to wear no mask, no matter what hat we wear...how much easier it would be for others to understand us.
ReplyDeleteJean Seavey
That I should behave one way to my wife, my sons or to my mother, and another to your wife, your sons and mother are appropriate behaviors. That I appear to be one type of man to my wife, my sons and my mother, and pretend to be a man of different character and disposition to yours is a mask. What delineates the difference between appropriate behaviors and masks?
ReplyDeleteIntent! Purpose! Those attributes which are seen by men and "judged" by men, by you and me, are masks.
Or were they appropriate behaviors?
Men look at behaviors and see everywhere masks or appropriate behaviors, believing themselves to have rightly divided the wheat from the chaff, we know what we see.
Some of us, you and I my friend, are particularly gifted at it. Let's break bread, pure whole wheat bread, together.
Paul Maddox
ReplyDeleteThis thought was brought about by 'talk' of the current candidates for offices - it took on a general application as it evolved - I know their is appropriate behavior for given situations, I only wish it were more often genuine - My constant struggle is to become the wearer of the one true mask for the very best me!
Bill Riley
I immediately recognized what evoked these thoughts. He who has ears heard; I suspect a few did.
A little recognized unintended consequence of wearing masks is that they not only mask our own appearance, but all too often interfere with our own range of vision and hearing. Thus as we make ourselves less visible to others the world becomes less visible to us.
Ah me, will I survive this life?
Paul Maddox
A thoughtful man once made a distinction to me between those who heard, in the sense of listening and perhaps even understanding, and those who who hearkened. I would like to amend my thoughtless comments with that distinction now.
ReplyDeletePaul Maddox
Amen
ReplyDeleteRenee Lehman
My dear Brother Riley:
ReplyDeleteIt is well said. I really enjoyed your thoughts. Thank you.
Daisy Ryan
muchas gracias, muy cierto , sabemos que son amigos nuestros por lo que les pedimos nos ayuden a orar para que René consiga trabajo pronto, estamos trabajando en una opocion muy buena de multinivel pero es amediano plazo que se ven los resultados, necesitamos urgente un trabajo que nos ayude a estabilizarnos, un abrazo y muchas gracias por los mensajes trato de leerlos todos me ayudan sus palabras
ReplyDeleteSusan Ragnier
Muchas gracias presidente.
ReplyDeleteJUANCARLOS JOSE REBOLLEDO GONZALEZ
claro que si
ReplyDeletealexander mosquera reyes