This week I started a new school year teaching high school students. It’s already off to a good start compared to the difficulties of the last two years. In March 2020 we taught online for a year during pandemic lockdowns. Then the following year we struggled to restore in-person learning. We had to try and fill gaps of learning widened from the lockdowns, address students’ social and emotional deficits, teach them how to behave together again, work around various students missing weeks of school at a time because of testing positive for COVID-19 or being near someone who did, and wearing masks.
Masks in particular relate to what I wanted to write about today. Although they can be useful from a healthcare standpoint, unfortunately masks negatively impact how people interact socially. Some people withdraw and hide behind masks instead of engaging like they would without one. Others wield the mask as a disguise which they feel entitles them to talk and act more harshly with others than they would if their face was uncovered. In short, sometimes people aren’t as authentic when wearing a mask. Like physical masks, spiritual masks can also be detrimental. When you aren’t authentic and don’t act in line what is virtuous you are dangerously disconnected with reality and unable to effectively help others. Seek to remove any mask which causes dissonance with God and others.
Here a two quick examples of dissonance—speaking or acting out of line with what is good, loving and right. Once in a while at school we get substitute teachers who don’t do their job. A teacher, even one who is filling in for a short time, should teach, guide, nurture, challenge, and engage to some degree with the curriculum and students entrusted to them. Yet we have had substitutes who chose to “babysit.” One crocheted in a corner, another squandered instructional time to tell stories about themselves instead of following the lesson plan, another shopped online, and another studied for a real estate license during class. Each called themself a teacher and expected to be paid for teaching, yet they didn’t behave like one. There was a disconnect.
Another example that comes to mind are politicians. Right now in the United States primary elections are taking place which will be followed by general elections in November to fill various local, state, and federal positions in government. Some politicians say one thing to get elected, but do something else once they are in office. Some of them abuse their power to make decisions which profit them and the special interest groups who financially support them. Yet their job is to represent and serve their constituents. They swore an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States which requires them to work for a perfect union, to establish justice, to ensure domestic tranquility, to provide for the common defense, to promote the general welfare, and to secure the blessings of liberty to citizens and their posterity. Like some substitute teachers, there is a disconnect in what these politicians promise and what they deliver. Although they may not realize it or care, this disconnection causes dissonance for themselves and many others.
I’m not trying to pick on substitute teachers and politicians. They aren’t the only ones who have done this. Sadly, everyone at some point has said or believed one thing and then acted out of line with that. This behavior takes various forms like hypocrisy, gossip, lies, deceit, flattery, and being fake or flaky. Such behavior is always destructive and leads to separation and dissonance with others and with God. For instance in the Bible, Cain appeared to serve God outwardly, but inwardly he didn’t. He begrudgingly offered a sacrifice to God. God confronted him about his attitude and gave him a second chance to do so cheerfully like his brother Abel did. Instead Cain killed his brother. God banished him to wander the earth (Genesis 4:1-16). Saul, the first king of Israel, agreed to obey God, but when given the opportunity many times he did what he thought was wise or desirable in his own eyes. Eventually God rejected him as king (1 Samuel 15:1-35). When Jesus ministered on earth, the Pharisees were influential religious leaders who strived to please God by strictly following his law. However, in their zeal many of them became self-righteous. Instead of developing a closer relationship with God and a desire to help guide others to God, their legalism separated them and made many of them proud, powerful, and wicked. Jesus confronted their hypocrisy for they did not practice what they preached. Among other critical yet appropriate names he called them whitewashed tombs because they had the appearance of beauty and righteousness on the outside, but were rotten and dead on the inside (Matthew 23:1-39). Collectively the Pharisees quickly grew to hate Jesus and were responsible for having him killed on a cross. One more example is Judas. He was one of the twelve apostles, the small group Jesus spent the most time living with and training. Although Judas tagged along with Jesus he did not fully believe and follow Jesus. Eventually he formed an alliance with the Pharisees to hand Jesus over to them. He betrayed Jesus for money and had him arrested. After doing so he was remorseful, yet he didn’t turn to God when he needed him most. Instead he hung himself (Luke 22:4-6; John 13:18-30; Matthew 27:3-6). Each of these examples reveals the downward spiral of destruction in claiming to serve God or to do what is right, good, and loving but then acting out of line with that righteous standard. Can you see the danger in dissonance?
Fortunately, God understands our brokenness in not doing what we know is right and has graciously blessed us with a solution in Jesus. God created you and loves you. He sent his son, Jesus, to become a man and to die and rise again in order save you from the deadly trap of living for yourself. Anyone who trusts and obeys Jesus can eliminate dissonance and be reconciled with God. Then by God’s grace and power you can learn to be sincere, genuine, honest, trustworthy, transparent, and to exhibit integrity. From your new life with God you can do what’s good, right, and loving. You can bring clarity, healing, harmony, and peace where there was confusion, suffering, conflict, and tension. Living for yourself is a false reality and causes disconnection and dissonance. Faith in Jesus is the only way to resonate with God and experience true life.
In the Bible saving faith is described as more than mental ascent. Just admitting that God exists will not bring about the spiritual resonance you need. Saving faith affects not just your head (how you think), but your heart (what you value and believe), and your hands (how you act). You avoid acting in dissonance by placing your hope, loyalty, trust, and obedience in Jesus alone to save you and to transform you into all God designed you to be. James, one of Jesus’ brothers, wrote in the Bible, “Do not merely listen to the word [what God says in the Bible], and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do” (James 1:22-25). The apostle John warns about dissonance also, “God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin” (1 John 1:5-7).
Removing a physical mask mandate at school has improved our learning environment and social dynamics. Reading people’s uncovered mood and expressions, smiling and seeing others smile, breathing deeply and fully, laughing freely, and being vulnerable enough to show ourselves is healthy and beneficial. Likewise I’m convinced that removing any spiritual mask is necessary to grow and thrive. Eliminate dissonance and seek to resonate with God. Be united with him as Jesus prayed you would do (John 17:20-23). Live with integrity and harmony with God’s character and mission. You can do that by prayerfully singing his praises, studying his word, sharing his truth, serving all people, standing in the gap to intervene, and staying dependent on God. Like a branch that abides in the vine, remain in Jesus and you will bear fruit (John 15:1-8). This fruit brings glory to God and helps others eliminate their masks, disconnection, and dissonance. So they too can be reconciled with God and enjoy real, everlasting life.