I led a memorial gathering tonight at the local outdoor downtown plaza. Everyone was wearing a mask. There was mostly adequate social distancing between people from different households. Sound equipment was sanitized between people who came up to speak.
As people talked about the congregant and community member to whom we were offering a memorial tribute, it occurred to me that people who have been saying lately, “God created me without a mask, so I am not going to wear one” might not be approaching the biblical statements about “faces” quite right.
Biblical passages portray God’s face as shining on us and being lifted towards us, both being signs of favor and kindness. Other biblical verses speak of God hiding the divine face from us, indicating a separation, a gulf that we might want to close as much as we can by performing acts reflecting kindness, goodness, and reverence for all creation.
Of course, saying that God has a face is an anthropomorphic statement. Many people of faith don’t mean it literally, even when sacred texts talk about God’s eyes, nose, mouth, ears, and hands. Face can mean a sacred presence and spirit, a Oneness that connects us all and pervades the entire universe.
The face, that is, the presence and spirit, of our friend and family member who recently died was very much felt during the memorial service. And while our faces were covered, our masks could not conceal the love, appreciation, and gratitude that was expressed in recollections that were shared. We were able to recognize each other as a community that had gathered for a loving remembrance, even while wearing masks that were intended to bring the best possible preservation of our health.
Our collective “face” transcended our individual physical appearance. We were one community, hearing some stories for the first time and learning lessons from a life well lived that will lead us to do good works in the community.
It’s the intangible and unseen face that represents our character and our soul that will guide us to reach out to one another in love and support to bring healing and hope.
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