Why People Wear Masks

I'm on the left,
between Holly and Linda

In one of my seminary student's spiritual journal God was speaking to them about their inauthenticity before others. They spend a lot of energy performing and acting before others, and not allowing others to see the "real them."

A few days later, in another journal entry, God began speaking to them about their "fear of man"; i.e., the fear of what others think of them or of what others might do to them. This fear of others is the root of mask-wearing inauthenticity. This is why people wear "masks," and don't let others inside of them.

The key to an authentic existence is to bring one's fear of others before God and let God get his hands on this. The way God frees people of this fear of others and brings us into authentic existence is through his love of us, as our Father. When the truth of how much and why God loves us becomes less theory and more experiential reality, authentic existence has begun.

As we discover the freedom and acceptance of unmasked relationship with God, the mask comes off before others.