Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Strategic Monk

Home
Contemplative
Practices From the Inside Out: Taking Off Our Masks

Practices From the Inside Out: Taking Off Our Masks

Last updated on: October 29, 2017 at 5:55 am by Greg Richardson

Practices From the Inside Out: Taking Off Our Masks 2017-10-29T05:55:37-08:00 Greg Richardson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

5198125035_f8a508da6a_z

Taking Off Our Masks

Some of us put a great deal of time and effort into Halloween. We decorate and stock up on extremely sweet treats. Many of us have Halloween traditions we have been looking forward to for almost an entire year.

Most significant of all, we choose, put together, and implement our costumes. The most challenging part of many costumes is our mask.

Even with an excellent outfit, people can still tell who we are without a good mask.

Halloween can be a lot of fun, but ultimately it comes down to one moment. There may be a chill in the air or it could be unseasonably warm. Whatever else happens, we each get to the point where we are taking off our masks.

For some of us, with really good masks, taking off our masks is a revelation.

While Halloween may be over for another year, there is more to it.

Some of us immediately start planning for next year’s Halloween. We get to find out how much candy we have left and evaluate our holiday experience. There may be ways we want to remember and improve next year.

The moment we begin taking off our masks we return to being our usual selves. Reflecting on our experience could show us something we can apply the next day.

Taking off our masks can be the most powerful moment of Halloween.

We have faced, or even become, what we most fear and can now remove our disguises.

Halloween has deep spiritual roots and reflects deep spiritual truths. It is a day for recognizing the masks we wear and finding ways to remove them.

What Masks Do We Wear?

For many people Halloween is a holiday for celebrating their everyday experiences.

Our fears, even the unconscious ones, cause us to want to either fight or flee. We have, possibly without even realizing it, put on a series of masks to protect ourselves.

Our lives can either be hidden by elaborate masks or full of moments of taking off our masks.

Each of us wears masks. We may be comfortable or uncomfortable in them. Our masks may be decorated in great detail or look almost like real life. There are masks we have chosen to wear and others of which we are not even aware.

Some people hold onto their masks as if their lives depended on them. Others spend time and effort to remove them.

What are the everyday masks we wear? We may wear our education as a mask, or our emotional intelligence. Our analytical intellect may be one of our favorite masks, or our physical beauty and strength. We might be trying to mask ourselves with money or power, with work or family.

Some people, ironically, try to use spiritual life as a mask to shield themselves.

We want to protect ourselves from what we fear by hiding behind masks.

Some of our masks are intricate and complicated while others are simple and basic. We may construct our own masks or inherit them from other people. The masks we wear may disguise our most recognizable features. They may be just enough so people confuse us with someone else.

We hope our masks will hide our true selves and protect us.

Like on Halloween, we wear masks so we are not identified. It may be we hope other people will treat us well. We may want to avoid responsibility for what we have done.

Taking Off Our Masks Can Take a Lifetime

For many of us, taking off our masks can take a lifetime.

Whether we have chosen our masks deliberately or not they help us feel safe. Taking off our masks is often more of a struggle than putting them on.

Some of us travel the journey of taking off our masks one step at a time. Each mask we remove is an intentional step toward where we want to go. We may have discovered the costs of wearing our masks over time. It will take us time and effort to set them aside.

Each step can be a struggle to put one foot in front of the other.

Other people wake up to the challenges of their masks more dramatically. They begin to see their masks for what they are, often as the result of a painful experience.

Even their dramatic insights are only the beginning of removing their masks. Taking off our masks is a process that lasts the rest of our lives.

We may have grown so accustomed to wearing a mask we feel naked without it. We may be unaware we continue to wear masks. There may be masks we do not believe we can live without.

Spiritual life draws us into the Sacred truths of the universe, including our true selves. We practice opening ourselves to the presence and power of spiritual life. Our practice reassures us we do not need to wear masks.

Spiritual life encourages us to begin, and continue, taking off our masks. Each mask we remove strengthens us to take off the next one.

The Joys of Taking Off Our Masks

We may have an amazing collection of masks. Our masks may be vibrant, radiant, stunning in their beauty and functionality. Each one may be a masterpiece we can be proud to own.

When we are wearing masks without realizing it, though, we do not own them. They confine us and hold us against our will.

The masks we wear restrict us and keep us from being seen clearly. Wearing a masks is being dishonest with the people around us.

A person wearing a mask is defined by the mask they wear, not the mask by the person.

We may feel more secure wearing our masks, but that is not true.

The joy of taking off our masks is we can be recognized for who we really are.

When will we be taking off our masks this week?

How will we know when we are wearing masks without realizing it?

What masks are we wearing today?

[Image by EEPaul]

Greg Richardson is a spiritual life mentor and leadership coach in Southern California. He is a recovering attorney and university professor, and a lay Oblate with New Camaldoli Hermitage near Big Sur, California. Greg’s website is StrategicMonk.com, and his email address is [email protected].

Blog

Spiritual Practices

Previous Post

October 26, 2017

Leading Like a Monk: Finding Inspiration in the Routine

Next Post

October 31, 2017 Listening to Sacred Stillness: Conversations Beyond the Grave

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Blog Book Reviews Everything Else Guest Posts Leadership Monastic Strategies Neighborhood Pilgrimages Sacred Stillness Spiritual Direction Spiritual Practices Work

Select a Month May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

I was fed by ravens at a brook and later by a widow whose oil and flour never ran out. Who am I?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Moses Elisha Elijah Samuel