When I put this Mask on,
I enter a world that is fake.
But it is in this world I choose to live,
Because of reality I ache.
But there are questions inside my head,
When behind this Mask I choose to hide.
And I must find the answer to these riddles,
Or it is only to myself I have lied.
The first question is one of havoc:
What do I destroy when I put on this Mask?
Do I kill things such as Love, Joy, and Peace?
I hear the thoughts inside me ask.
The second enigma is one of loss:
What do I lose when this Mask I hide behind?
Do I lose individuality, opinion, and choice?
I know to this the answer I must find.
The third perplexity is perhaps the most punishing,
Who has this one under the Mask become?
Will I recognize the face I am forced to see,
When at last the deception has come undone?
I find that no answers are to be found,
When at last in the stillness I dwell.
So I must go to Jesus, my only hope,
I know the answers He will tell.
So in the presence of the Almighty One,
I inquire of Him these three.
And He lets me wait for a time,
But then He says “At last you have come to Me”
The reply He gives me is quite unexpected,
The response not at all what I thought.
He tells me that the answers will only come,
When to Him my Mask I have brought.
And He goes on to say that all the pain
I find myself keeping inside.
He can never truly Heal,
Until my Mask I stop hiding behind.
I tremble with fear at this newfound knowledge,
I find that I was unprepared
I wanted to face His response with bravery and courage,
But I ended up just feeling scared.
When I thought of giving up my Mask
I was completely dismayed and appalled.
It was all that I had to hold onto,
But then I realized I needed this wall to fall.
It seems the more that I pondered,
The more I reflected and mused,
I realized that my Mask was a bondage,
And through it my freedom was abused.
So with shaking and trembling I crawled,
Up to the throne of My King.
And I laid down my Mask on the altar,
With, in abundance, much inward bleeding.
I looked up and watched as He cried,
The tears of red cascading down,
And then as He stooped to pick up my Mask,
I saw on His head a thorny crown.
I looked in awe as He tore my Mask,
Ripped it in two (to say the least).
And then I watched as He threw them,
As far as the West is from the East.
He reached down and picked me up,
And held me through the tears.
And I remember not such a Peace,
In more than could be counted in years.
Today there are so many people,
Living each day in their Masks,
I realize I must tell them,
The answer to the questions they ask.
And assure them of the Freedom,
I know that can be found.
When at last they let themselves be held,
By, for them, the One who’s life was laid down.
