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The Parable of the Mask

There was an insistent knock on the door.
I opened it, only to find a disfigured stranger waiting.
Fearful at first, I invited the stranger in.
Maybe some inner goodness compelled me to do so.
As we sat and looked into each other’s eyes – there was something familiar.
I am sure, but for the grotesque disfigurement, I knew this stranger.
Studying this stranger’s face – I realized its deformity came from a mask.
“May I ask, why do you wear such a mask?”
With a sadness that pierced my soul – the stranger replied.
“I did not place these masks upon me – but humankind felt compelled to.”
Removing the first mask, “This is the mask of judgment.”
Taking off the second mask, “This is using Sacred Texts to justify the judgment.”
Then the third, “This is when I am used as a weapon to hurt others.”
And finally, the last mask was lifted. “This is the illusion of separateness.”
At first, the stranger’s face became so bright that I had to cover my eyes.
Then I looked.
I saw a mother with her newborn child.
A soldier laying down her life for her fellow soldiers.
A fireman rushing into flames to save a life.
The farewell kiss of a dying husband.
The Light within us – without skin color, religion, or ideologies.
And suddenly, I recognized that this was no stranger.
This was love.

17 Comments

  1. Josephine L. Thompson says:

    Beautifully written. I know people need a reminder of what life is all about. A must read. Thank you for sharing.

  2. Elizabeth Walker says:

    Very beautiful ❤️

  3. Mary says:

    Wonderfully expressed. Kept my interest. throughout.

  4. LindaB says:

    Wow! Wow! Wow! Definitely a small bite with a lot to chew on! Succinct. Powerful. Your gift is such a light! Thank you!!!

  5. David Wiener says:

    You always amaze!

  6. elizabeth montenegro says:

    Never judge a book by it’s cover said to me many years ago by my father. Inside that cover you will find something that will make a difference in your life. Reading this made me think about life is worth living no matter what you look like on the outside.

  7. Darlene Smith says:

    This is so beautiful

  8. David Winegar says:

    Wow! That was a great parable and beautifully written. Thanks for the personal time you invest in making our world a better place and giving
    us pause to reflect upon our own actions or inactions. Love David

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