As I walked in, the mask on the wall caught my attention. It was not good. It was, to me, dark and foreboding. As I looked, I could feel evil coming from the mask. My initial reaction was to look away. Metaphorically, I wanted to shun myself from it. I tried to ignore it even as a rhetorical question echoed in my mind. What if Divinity restored all this mask represented so that it was a carrier of compassion, care, kindness, and love? How would I react then? If Divinity could see the possible, could I?
I woke today reminded of the lessons that linger from the mask that evening. The feeling of superiority as I walked in that evening is very different when I consider my soul in the darkness of the night before the dawn.
Within every individual is something we wish was not there. There may be many things or just a few. There is no superiority in having fewer failures than someone else. The harsh reality is that all have failed. The good news is that this does not define my worth. Divinity said I was priceless, forever worthy of restoration. Divinity’s view, not my actions, defines my worth.
It is possible that Divinity could restore everyone who has failed. I have come to realise that I am not superior because I am connected. It is true that when I am in a relationship with Divinity I am connected. It is also true that this is a gift, not something I have earned. The old warning stands; “Don’t get to feeling superior to those pruned branches down on the ground. If they don’t persist in remaining deadwood, they could very well get grafted back in. God can do that. He can perform miracle grafts.” (Romans 11.23)
The question of my standing and ranking is my choice through relationships and actions. Today, I can stand as a messenger of kindness, caring, and community, a Divine messenger. If I do nothing, I lie quietly as deadwood, filling space, consuming resources, and serving only myself.
