I’m tired of talking about masks.
Instead, I want to talk about the face. You know, that thing that everyone has… behind their mask.
Here are a few truths for us to ponder:
* Your face is beautiful – Created by God to display his glory, and upon being created, “It was very good.”
* Your face is unique – more than anything else about you, your face is how people identify you. Your face ascribes value to you in the eyes of others – hence the expressions to the contrary when talking about a “faceless mob” or a “faceless bureaucrat.”
* Your face is the representation of all of you – This is why our profile pictures online are generally of our face. When others think of you, they generally think of your face.
* Your face adds depth and nuance to verbal communication – This is one reason why it is often better to have discussions “face to face” instead of over the phone or via email.
* Your face expresses your emotions better than your words – From joy to sorrow, the face reflects the soul.
* Your face humanizes you in the eyes of others – Especially those who otherwise dislike or disagree with you. It is harder to hate a face than to hate a name or a voice or the author of an email.
* Your face should not be feared – For all the reasons above, and many more, we must not allow our first, or second, or third, reaction to a human face to be that of fear.
* Your face was not created to be hidden – To hide ones face is universally a negative gesture. The details vary, but a hidden face conveys shame, fear, rejection, loss, sorrow, judgement, etc. It’s never a positive connotation.
So, please, show your face. The world will be better for it.
For additional reading on this topic, I would suggest David Schrock’s article on the Theology of the Face.
Leave a Reply