I’m not afraid
I’m not ashamed
I’m not to blame
Welcome to the masquerade,
I’m not ashamed
I’m not afraid
I’m not okay
Welcome to the masquerade!
shouts Trevor McNeva, lead vocalist for canadian based rockers Thousand Foot Krutch. The chorus of the title track from their latest album, Welcome To The Masquerade, screams out to me. It’s a painful reminder of one of many painful truths in America today, that life is like a party in which everyone wears a mask. Masks created to hide who we are, what we go through. Whenever I hear that chorus, an image pops into my head. It’s like I’m a character in a play, a normal person living life, when all of a sudden he rips off this mask, like that person is not afraid to show who he is. He looks up, and is suddenly aware of those around him, and how they’re all wearing masks similar to the one he just removed, and as the final line plays, he looks up and sees another person without a mask, welcoming him, to the masquerade. I chose that scene as symbolism because of it’s truth, and clarity. This is as masquerade party. We’ve all been taught to hide our true emotions, and our real selves, from everyone and everything around us. We build up walls to keep the world out. And that hurts us in the end. Even among those closest to us, we put up masks, that display who we wanna be, not who we really are. We wanna be people with perfect lives. We wanna be people who always act this way, or keep a cool head, or don’t judge people, or a million other things that we’re not. We can’t change our messed up lives. We can’t always act this way, we can’t always be calm, though we try we do judge, and a million other things.
What if, for just a second, everyone took off their masks? What if people just showed who they really are, imperfect, and hurting? Long enough for the watchful eye to gain insight into the truth of the problems in the world. Long enough for the healing hand to step in and lift the pains of life holding us down. Healing begins with change, and change comes where change is needed. People, we need to step out of our comfort zones, into the realm of the unknown.
I was at a party the other day, just pausing and listening to all the noises and chatter going on around me when I heard one concerning the everyday courtesy that the phrase “How are you?” has become. I rushed over quickly to join, because I love challenges like those of defying the ordinary. One of my friends mentioned how in some foreign countries, if you stop and ask someone how it’s going, they will actually stop and tell you in detail, how it’s going. Another one of my friends stood up and mentioned how in another part of the world she takes interest in, they do the same thing. We’re really the only people who don’t. It’s no wonder our country is in the state of affairs it’s in. Everyone is hidden, with hidden motives pulling at them, with hidden problems destroying them.
So I guess what I’m trying to say here, is for all of those with a mask on, take a chance, live life. Take it off, and see all around you. Don’t act okay if you’re not. Don’t say something you don’t mean. Be honest. See what happens when you do. God works in surprising ways, and if you’re willing to let him, he can help you.
He’s on his way to nowhere cause he heard it was safe there.
And safe is something valuable here.
He spent half his life searching and the other half working to find out if Jesus is real.
And they said son look away don’t be afraid when you want to turn back a million time and it might get colder but wait til it’s over.
Son you will find your way.
And I said I will not look away this time.
Take all these cuts and make them shine, and all this pain I feel inside so I can find my way home again.
I will not look away this time.
Take all these cuts and make them shine.
Don’t want to be perfect just alright.
