Love (January, 2000)

I once came across this quote from American author James Baldwin: “Love takes off masks that we fear we cannot live without and know we cannot live within.”

How many times have you longed to be yourself with others, to shed all superficiality and shallowness? Do you dream of having conversations uncluttered with cliches? Have you felt yourself suffocating beneath a mask that you know you “cannot live within,” gasping for the fresh air of openness and honesty?

As human beings we have a deep need to know others and to be known by them, yet still we keep one another at safe distances, unwilling to remove these masks that we “fear we cannot live without.” As a result we walk around in a state of emotional starvation, withering away for lack of healthy relationships. What can be done about this? What is the solution, the answer?
“Love takes off masks....” Love! In an atmosphere of love, the masks can come off, because true love doesn’t care if we aren’t perfect! Love delights in genuineness, in truthfulness, in honesty and forthrightness. Love is the answer!

This past year God has been teaching me what it means to love, showing me how to take off my own mask. He has brought into my life people who I can be real with, who I can cry and laugh with. As I have been faithful to reach out to others in love, He has blessed me with deep, rewarding friendships. I am so very thankful that God led me to the key of love, which has unlocked the door of true friendship in my life.

Living underneath a mask is no fun. It is tedious, and at times it is very lonely. But when we walk in love, we are given the freedom to come out from underneath the tiresome masks and to live as we were created to live. We begin to walk in true fellowship with our brothers and sisters, able to practice more fully the “one anothers” of the New Testament.

As this new millennium begins, let’s commit ourselves to walk in love, the love of Christ, and to reach out to those around us, regardless of the risks. We will discover that it is possible to live without a mask, and that our lives will be richer and fuller than we ever dreamed possible once the masks have come off.