TRUTH UNMASKED
In 1985, Cher starred in a movie called “Mask.” I remember this film so well since it was completed in the year of my mother’s death, and because it is one of my all-time favorites due to its sensitive portrayal of transcending the differences that tend to define and limit us. Cher played the biker mother of Roy “Rocky” Dennis, a teenager who struggled with a severe facial deformity commonly known as “Lionitis” due to its disfiguring cranial enlargement. Rocky had an outward appearance that was shocking and off-putting to most people, but he was a gentle and genteel soul, more so than most we ever encounter.
Because of his inherent kindness and empathy, Rocky was recruited as a volunteer in a summer camp for blind youth. I suppose the underlying rationale was that the campers could not see his face, so they would likely judge him on the basis of who he actually is, not what he looks like. That’s exactly what happened.
During that summer, Rocky developed a romantic relationship with one of the teenage girls. Having been blind since birth, she had no way of understanding what Rocky was ‘seeing’ when he spoke of commonplace things like colors or clouds. But Rocky was determined to communicate clearly and share those visual experiences with her. He came up with a brilliant idea on how he might do it.
One day, he led his girlfriend into the kitchen and
over to the refrigerator. He took out a cold rock he had placed there earlier
and deposited it into her hands. “That’s blue!” Rocky exclaimed excitedly. Then
he led her over to the oven and retrieved a rock that had been slightly heated.
As he placed it gently in her hands, she commented on how warm the rock felt to
her. “That’s red!” Rocky shouted out. Then he pulled out a bunch of cotton
balls and placed them in her hands. “That’s what clouds are like!” Rocky
explained. Both were thrilled to realize that this was the very first time the
blind girl could truly ‘see’ colors and clouds.
Of course she never saw colors and clouds as they actually are, but by comparing them to things already familiar to her, she was able to gain a real sense of those unknown experiences.
OUR FATHER initiates a similar strategy in opening up our spiritual awareness and understanding. As mortal beings, we could never fully comprehend transcendent truths like eternity, or Trinity, or divine atonement, or any number of theological truths. But THE LIVING WORD lovingly breaks down these challenging concepts for us – into bitesize nuggets we can chew on, swallow and digest. The parables of Jesus Christ are one primary example. Jesus wisely begins where we are, from a foundation of knowledge and settings which are fully familiar to us, and thereby paints crystal-clear pictures of our covenant connections to His grace, mercy and love.
What Rocky did for his blind friend is only a practical reenactment of what Christ has already done for us. The One who is “the way, the truth, and the life” continually unmasks truth and reveals it so freely, clearly, powerfully and lovingly to us. (John 14:6)
Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!
