When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, the skin of his face was shining, and they were afraid to come near him.
Gosh, even the lectionary gets it. Okay, maybe the Israelites weren’t fearful of a maskless Moses that day, but many of us have had a sense of fear, trepidation, worry, confusion when we have walked into a space and seen people not wearing masks. It’s been a very long time since we’ve seen each other’s smiles.
Here in Maryland, the Governor rescinded mask mandates for State buildings and recently the Maryland School Board announced the same for schools. Across the country more localities are doing the same.
Stepping back from the anxiety of seeing people maskless again, this should be good news! We have been suffering and struggling with the COVID 19 pandemic for two years now, and wearing a variety of masks, face coverings and other types of protection. Our state is 84% vaccinated with at least one dose.
Many in this community and our loved ones have contracted COVID 19 and are doing well, particularly now that vaccines are readily available. Masks, particularly in crowded places, or if one is ill, may become a more common part of our lives as they are in many parts of Asia. Though sometime in the coming months, the majority of people won’t be wearing them for the regular comings and goings of life - shopping, parties, school, and church. This is a significant change.
When one lives through a traumatic experience, like the pandemic has been, , moving out of it can often be just as hard. It is the reason the Israelites were worried of leaving Egypt, why they wanted to stay in the desert instead of finding the promised land, and why they were fearful when they saw Moses’ face - not because he forgot his KN-95, but because they knew he had heard from God - and that it meant something new for them. This new stage of the pandemic is new for us.
Fear not, I am not taking direct messages from God on when we should remove our masks in Church, nor do I expect to. But, we have been taking our cues from the Mayor of Baltimore and the Bishop of Maryland. For now, we will continue wearing masks in worship and while singing, but we may soon be at a point when masks will be optional.
We will, as we always have, listen to the Diocese and Baltimore City’s public health authorities and follow their instructions in order to create a safe environment for us all. I know that some people will feel more comfortable still masked when the time comes for Memorial to change our current requirements. Wearing a KN-95 offers protection to the wearer, even if others are unmasked.
When you see friends, neighbors and strangers without a mask - even if their face is shining like the sun - it is ok to acknowledge that this is different, and that it could elicit feelings of fear . Have faith that we are moving past this one challenge, and hopeful for what the future holds.