Masking: A Spiritual Insight from the Bible

To mask or not to mask has been the question since the Pandemic began eighteen months ago. Even after 700,000 Covid-19 deaths in the United States, and millions more around the world, masking is still controversial oftentimes leading to an attitude of belligerence in the community and continued spread of the infection. 

Are there any instances in the Bible that involve wearing a mask? Recently, I was inspired by a sermon preached by Michael Eric Dyson entitled, “When Not to Wear a Mask.” He used the Book of Exodus Chapter 34, verse 34 as his reference. The scripture reads, “But whenever Moses went into the Tent of Meeting, he removed the veil (mask) until he came out again.”  

The Tent of Meeting is the place where Moses went to speak with God.  Any place where you go to have a ‘talk with the Lord’ could be considered your Tent of Meeting. During time with God, Moses removed his mask. Once he left the Meeting Tent, he’d put it back on. The Bible says, the people knew when Moses had been in the Meeting Tent because his face would glow through his mask. What does removal of the mask when in the presence of God symbolize? Here’s something to consider.

To be sure, with or without a mask, God already sees us as we are. We can’t pretend before God. To take our mask off before we pray, means to lay aside our pretense. With the mask off, we enter God’s presence with a willingness to open-up to God. Removing our mask helps us to become more self-aware, honest, patient, and forgiving of ourselves, spouses, family, community, nation, and world.  

The Bible says although Moses wore the mask in the community, the people could still see God’s glow through his mask. We hide a lot of stuff beneath our mask. When we take our human mask off before God, something happens deep within our inner being. Follow Moses guide: Take off your mask when you go to God in prayer. Wear your mask in the community. With the mask off before God, God transforms our spiritual and physical presence and prepares us to be change-agents in the community. 

Other writings by Dr. Juanita Cone log onto  www.amazon.com/dp/1732039615