Mark Dibelka “Time for Masks”
October 25, 2009
Psalm 34:1-8
I know I'm a bit
early, but, I'd like to wish you a Happy Halloween! While the upcoming week has seemed to become
a time of contention within the Christian church, I'm not certain that it must
be contentious. For some reason, maybe
the horrifying costumes and traditional fires, Halloween has come to become
associated with “the Devil.”
Interestingly, the day did not start that way and instead was actually a
day of blessing!
Let us look back
2,000 years and we will see the Celts (Kelt or Celt – depends on which version
of Gaelic one chooses) who are beginning their new year celebration known as
Samhain. For them, the new year started
on November 1. Winter was how their year
began and was considered to be the dark, cold time of year when the majority of
deaths occurred. The night before new
year was the time when the boundary between the physical world and the spirit
world was most easily crossed. As a
result, the ghosts would return to the physical world. When the ghosts came, mischief was afoot and
the next season's crops would be ruined.
The celebration was actually considered the defense of the village, and
consisted of extinguishing all the hearth fires, and wearing costumes of animal
heads and skins in an effort to keep the ghosts where they belonged. A gigantic central bonfire was built where
crops and animals were sacrificed to the gods.
The wearing of ceremonial clothing and sacrificing of crops and animals
by fire to please God doesn't sound so different than the practice of the
Israelites of the same time. When all
was said and done, the next morning, the now blessed bonfire was used to
relight all the hearths in the village and bless the homes for the upcoming
year.
Here we have heard
how Halloween came to be celebrated by the wearing of masks - the people of the
village would dress as animals to defend their upcoming livelihood. I ask you to continue this trip through
history as we look towards Halloween actually becoming a Christian holiday.
Shortly after the
physical ministry of Jesus had come to an end, the Romans changed their focus
from the Levant (Modern day Lebanon, Israel, Syria, and Jordan) to the British
Isles. When they arrived, the Romans
co-opted Samhain into the Roman festivals of Ferelia (essentially Memorial Day,
as it was the one day a year set aside to remember the dead), and the
celebration of Pomona (the goddess of fruit and trees – who was symbolized by
the apple, and likely was the origin of bobbing for apples at Halloween
parties). The Celtic new year
celebration continued as part of the official religious life of the most
powerful nation on earth, at the time.
So how does this
relate to the Christian church? By the seventh
century, the Celtic church had come into being – Christianity was in the
British isles. Pope Boniface IV
designated November 1 All Saints' Day, a time to honor saints and martyrs. It
is widely believed today that the pope was attempting to replace the Celtic
festival of the dead with a related, but church-sanctioned holiday. The
celebration was also called All-hallows or All-hallowmas (from Middle English
Alholowmesse meaning All Saints' Day) and the night before it, the night of
Samhain, began to be called All-hallows Eve and, eventually, Halloween. Even
later, in the year 1000, the church would make November 2 All Souls' Day, a day
to honor the dead. It was celebrated similarly to Samhain, with big bonfires,
parades, and dressing up in costumes as saints, angels, and devils. Together,
the three celebrations, the eve of All Saints', All Saints', and All Souls',
were called Hallowmas.[1]
Now we have heard
how the Christian church embraces Halloween.
It may have evolved out of the needs of a relatively primitive
population who was dependent upon the grace of nature to survive, but the
holiday we know is a uniquely Christian celebration of the lives of saints.
While all this
history is fun to know, and perhaps helps us sound intelligent when debating the
acceptability of Halloween in polite society, it tells us that there is a very
basic part of Halloween that we carry with us every day of our life. The wearing of masks.
I keep on my desk
one of my favorite photographs. It was
taken on a late afternoon, just as a bonfire was being lit. It has a senior enlisted man of the US Air
Force, a Mexican bandito, and a werewolf.
Obviously, it was part of a Halloween party – where many good laughs
were shared. But I suggest that, while
only one of the people in the picture was wearing something covering their
face, all three were wearing masks.
If we ignore the
werewolf, we would see a white guy who somehow – even though there was no
make-up being used and nothing covering his face – looked like the stereotypical
Mexican of the late 19th century.
I actually expected to hear horses and smell tequila, umm, I mean
gunpowder. The other character in the
picture is a very stern sergeant with a selection of stripes down his arm that
barely allowed his elbows to bend. The
stern face of this person not only would lead to unquestioning obedience when
an order was barked, but completely hid the fact that within seconds before,
and after, the photo that face had been split by one of the most charming
smiles one could ever see as well as chiming out a contagious laugh.
We all wear
masks. We all wear masks every day. Think about your standard day and the
interactions you have at work, at the market, with friends, with your family. How many times have you said, either aloud or
to yourself, “Time to put on the game face.”?
Parts of this
message were written while I was in the dojo.
I have worked out in this dojo in the past, and fully expect to do so
again in the future. Obviously, I was
not working out during that particular time, but I was observing – learning
even though I wasn't practicing. As they
were going over techniques with which I was familiar, I spent the time watching
the karateka. What was clearly obvious
were the masks. For any of us that have
ever been involved in athletics, this comes as no surprise. When one is serious about training, their
face assembles into a mask of concentration.
Americans functioning in a traditional, Japanese setting creates an even
more interesting mask. Not only is the physical
concentration there, but there looks to be an attempt to take on the overly
serious persona of a dedicated Asian warrior.
They are playing the part of the karateka. When I played football, I know I wore more
than the helmet's face mask – I know I was intense and can only guess how ugly
that mask may have been as my girlfriend wouldn't talk to me until I had “come
off the game.”
Today, most of us
here are smiling. But who is genuine and
who is wearing a mask? If you are
wearing a mask, why are you wearing it?
While we may have our happy-go-lucky face on the outside, are we hiding
an inside that is worried about money or a relationship? Are we in physical pain due to an illness or
injury? How about our spiritual
health? Inside we are in turmoil, while
on the outside we show a serene, pleasant facade.
At my 40 hour a week
job, I command a platoon. I do not
supervise individuals beyond the handful of sergeants that actually make sure
the platoon functions correctly. I wear
a mask when I am with my cops – to them, I am the “old man.” I am generally quite serious around my cops,
and maintain a fairly low level of interaction.
Not so long ago, I overheard one of the “boots” commenting to a senior
officer, “Does the lieutenant find anything funny?” The sergeants understand that I am wearing a
mask in those interactions, and they have a different understanding of who I
am. With them I am supportive, and quick
to smile. I can't let them see me sweat
– ever. So long as I am confident
(regardless of how I feel inside), the sergeants remain confident, and in turn
the platoon functions well regardless of the situation.
A few of you in the
congregation have actually run into me while I am on duty, and you have seen me
wearing a uniform. I haven't felt the
need to put on the mask, because I didn't feel anything was expected of me
beyond maybe telling a story or two.
What I find the most
confusing, as I move through this lifelong masquerade party, are those who
really have nothing about which to complain yet still wear masks of
misery. How many of us know somebody who
has a good paying job, a beautiful and caring significant other and/or family,
the ability to help their friends and family – yet they wear a face that tells
the world they are miserable. Perhaps
the “things” we consider making a person a success have no real meaning
regarding happiness. Perhaps the
obtaining and keeping of those “things” take their toll in such a way as to
create misery despite the benefits they bring.
I honestly cannot answer that question as my smiles are genuine, as is
my misery – when I hide my face, it is behind a mask of indifference.
So instead of
Halloween being the single day of hiding, a fair number of us spend the
majority of our lives hiding behind masks. Of all people, I believe I can understand why
we might hide our true being from others.
Having had a relationship that spiraled into a rather messy break-up,
leaves one emotionally scarred. Carrying
the memories of having been stabbed, as well as having been shot, in service to
a population which snubs you every chance they get, leaves one with the need to
show how un-afraid they are. Answering
the call to minister to others can leave one feeling they have “unworthy”
written across their face. These are
just a few of my experiences, and I cannot even begin to speak about the
experiences of others. I am certain that
any reasons any of you might have to wear your masks are no less valid. What I do say is that so long as we wear our
masks, we are attempting to trick the world around us. Sometimes the trick is nasty, and sometimes
the trick is nice. But either way, the
fact remains that we are, on the most basic level, intentionally tricking those
around us.
When we are open and
honest within our faith family, we are providing a true treat. It is through the honesty of self that we
extol the Lord at all times. What a
blessing it is when we seek the Lord and are delivered from all our fears. The Psalmist reminds us that when we look to
the Lord, our faces become radiant and are never covered with shame.
Our calling as a
community of faith is to walk this journey as a family. Jesus charged us all to love one
another. While love takes many forms, it
is through being open and honest with one another that we demonstrate
love. By sharing our abilities and our
needs, we can work together to strengthen each other. We each have something to give, and great
satisfaction may be had when we share our talents with one another.
So here we are at
Halloween. While we no longer believe
that the ghosts of the dead will return and ruin our crops, we still think of
this as the time for the wearing of masks.
The time for trick or treating. I
say, God is ringing our doorbells and literally shouting in our faces – TRICK
OR TREAT? The choice is ours to make,
which will you choose?