The Golden Mask Rule

When all is said and done, the mask will go down in history as the Official Accessory of The Pandemic. I don’t mean just the protective gear vital to heroic healthcare workers—the crucial PPE that has been too often hard to come by. I’m talking about the cloth face masks the rest of us are encouraged or required to wear when we step foot out of our homes and into the virus-laced world. I’m talking about the coverings that have been stitched together by kind-hearted couturiers on Singer and Bernina machines positioned on a million dining room tables. I’m talking about the fabric buffers made from scratch even through the trials of an elastic shortage. These are our armor.

As the need for such armor grows, it doesn’t surprise me at all that artists and entrepreneurs alike are being inspired to new heights. My sister mentioned to me yesterday that she had purchased some masks through Etsy, the premiere website for unique, handcrafted items. Curious, I visited the site to see for myself what was being offered. When I typed in “face masks,” I was met with 402,384 results! I found masks to match every sports franchise known to humankind; masks embroidered with cat faces; masks that come with matching hair bows; masks made from camo; masks cut from printed cloth patterned with unicorns and flamingos and polka dots and paisley.

And for special occasions, I came across 952 results when I searched for “face masks blingy.” That’s a lot of sequins.

Some of those blingy masks are gold, and that got me thinking about a little thing known as The Golden Rule. I have heard it said that every branch of religion and, really, every culture, subscribes to a version of The Golden Rule. It is, at least in theory, a globally held value. For Christ-followers, we like to quote from Jesus’ words found in Matthew 7:12. You might have memorized the verse: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Treat others as you want to be treated. Right? Looking at The Message version of the Bible…

Every day, the Secretary of Health for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania gives a Covid-19 press briefing. She always concludes with a list of best practices for keeping safe—words she has offered so many times now that I can recite them myself, almost liturgically. One phrase Dr. Levine echoes daily has come to sound almost sacred to my ears. It resonates like a slice of scripture: My mask protects you and your mask protects me. I have come to call it The Golden Mask Rule of The Pandemic. It matches in tone the message I hear from Jesus. The one that calls us to have at least the same amount of compassion for our neighbor as we do for ourselves. And, more than incidentally, we might remember that this is exactly how we express love for God, too.

I have been disturbed by images of maskless protestors assembling in various public places. They gather to assert that their states should repeal societal safety measures and “open” to unfettered commerce and recreation. Some would say that hastily assembled coronavirus policies have been oppressive to individual’s rights in favor of societal protections. While I empathize with the desire to “get back to normal,” and while I appreciate a good demonstration for a laudable cause, I have found the protestors’ methods and message to be at odds with the principle of The Golden Rule, no matter which version of it is being stated. Letters, phone calls, emails, bumper stickers, yard signs… there are myriad ways to effectively communicate dissent without bringing harm. It is possible to express views and offer opinions in ways that do not endanger the vulnerable. And we are all vulnerable these days.

It can be tiresome to keep up goodwill at all times, especially under the conditions of crisis management. And yet, let’s encourage one another to manage the struggle with wisdom, thoughtfulness, and creativity. We do NOT know how long the current troubles will be around. Regardless, we are ALWAYS called to be thoughtful and caring. What is good for our neighbors IS good for us too, in the short term and in the long run.

Enacting the Golden Mask Rule Daily,

Pastor Chris