A Word from Pastor Lisa: Masking as Spiritual Practice
Do no harm.
Do good.
Attend upon the ordinances of God.
—General Rules of the Methodist Societies from John Wesley
This pandemic has forced our preschool daughter to reckon with her phobia of masks. She hates not being able to see someone’s entire face. Previously when she caught a glimpse of someone in a mask, she buried her head and let out a blood-curdling scream. Halloween is a challenging holiday. A field trip to the fire station ended in tears. Our first trip to the dentist, the whole office heard her yell. While this fear of masks is very real, she is learning that when we are with other people or in public spaces, she must put on a mask. And she’s learning not to be terrified when others do the same.
If our daughter is working on her fear, my hope is the adults in her community will work on their reluctance. In Sunday’s sermon I mentioned that wearing masks is an essential act of hospitality for people of faith as we love our neighbors during a pandemic. Masks will be required when we return to in-person sanctuary worship. I’d like to explore how wearing masks relates to our faith.
John Wesley instructed Methodist followers of Jesus with three General Rules you can see above. The first two are fairly self-explanatory. When we wear masks, we are doing no harm to our neighbors, and hopefully helping to do good for our community. In the third rule, “ordinances” are spiritual practices we should keep to help us grow in our love for God and each other. We call these means of grace because they are outward signs of an inward, spiritual grace. Wesley mentions six in particular:
the public worship of God
the ministry of the Word, read or expounded
holy communion
prayer, family or private
studying Scripture
and fasting or abstinence
This list from Wesley isn’t exhaustive, but it is a guide for our spiritual health. In the midst of a pandemic, the public, in-person worship of God has been impossible. We have also made a decision not to celebrate communion online (more on that next week). I grieve the loss of both of these because they are essential practices for our faith. While nothing can replace them, I’ve wondered about other disciplines we’re called to practice right now.
Baptist minister Clare Johnson says the debate among Christians about wearing a face mask demands we reflect deeply about the outward signs of an inward, spiritual grace, especially during a pandemic. She has come to view wearing a protective mask in public as a spiritual practice that deepens her faith for several reasons, and I have added a few of my own.
First, wearing masks embodies love for our neighbors. While putting on a helmet or seatbelt protects ourselves, wearing a mask cares for others. With COVID-19, wearing masks protects those who are most vulnerable. Jesus calls us to care for the least of these among us. Since communities that are Black, indigenous, and of color have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19, wearing a mask is also an act of justice that demonstrates our desire to advocate for them. Likewise, we’re mindful that wearing a mask may feel unsafe for people of color who could be perceived as dangerous or criminal because of our society’s stereotypes, and we commit to dismantling this prejudice.
Wearing a mask is an act of humility. Some masks are also not very comfortable. They hurt your ears. They make it difficult to breathe. I’m not looking forward to trying to preach in a mask when we return to in-person worship. (I know, it would help if I had less hot air, right?) What’s more, masks may make us the target of ridicule. Someone I know wore a mask at a Bloomington store, where a fellow shopper yelled at her for overreacting. I’ve also been told that masks are ridiculous and feel like “imprisonment.” Wearing a mask can be uncomfortable and can make you the target of scorn, but nothing compared to what Christ and many other saints and martyrs have suffered for us.
Wearing a mask reminds us that our identity is found as beloved children of God. When we wear masks, our smiles and many of our facial features are hidden, hence our daughter’s fear. It’s sometimes difficult for those around us to recognize us, hear us, or understand our emotions. Yet even in this time of physical distancing and masks, we are still intimately known, understood, and loved by God, who looks at our hearts.
If you’re already wearing a protective mask in public spaces, I hope you’ll continue to do so, but also reflect on it as a spiritual practice. If you’re not wearing one, I don’t imagine that a post from your pastor will change your mind, but I do pray for the Spirit to change your heart. We continue to pray for the day when masks aren’t necessary, but until then, may our hearts grow in love for God in our neighbor as we stay safe together.