Face

I did not hide my face . . . I have set my face like flint . . . . 

 - From Isaiah 50

Is there ever a good reason to hide?

Yes of course, if you're setting up a surprise party for somebody. Or playing hide 'n' seek. Or Peek-a-boo. These are fun reasons to hide, but not what I'm talking about. (But even in the case of playful hiding, the fun comes from the symbolism of hiding itself . . . as a way to scare someone.)

The desire to scare others, simply out of spite, is probably borderline sadistic. Humans require stability and safety, in order to function effectively. There are no good reasons to scare others. 

And I daresay, there are no good reasons to hide. 

We hide, because we're afraid of danger. And if there's imminent danger, that's not good. 

We hide, because we're rude, like ignoring a tapping on the door, or a phone call, because we'd rather not be bothered. Whatever the reason, these reasons to hide may also be filed under the category of "rudeness." And even if you are trying to avoid somebody . . . even that goes back to something being wrong, or not good. 

We hide, because we're ashamed. And this is probably the most important reason to discuss hiding, and why we do it. If we're feeling shame . . . the takeaway must be, to avoid doing things that bring shame. (I realize that the preceding statement is potentially very inflammatory. I ask the reader to hold that thought, until some future time when additional layers of analysis may be done, in a blog post.)

But what do we do, when we hide? The goal is to go unnoticed, or unrecognized. 

We hide our faces. The covering of one's face is symbolic of something being wrong. Your face is your identity. It's how you're recognized. And recognition is at the root of our sense of self-worth. We want to matter, more than anything . . . . and for you to matter, I must recognize you. To recognize you, I must see your face. 

We need to show great care, when attempting to steer an entire culture, and society, towards an ethic of face-covering. The symbolism of the covered face is something that I do not believe we fully understand. But it's a parameter that should be on the table when discussing protocols to deal with epidemics, or any social development that may call for us to cover our faces. 

It should be a last resort. If there is push-back, our response should be empathy, not harsh reactions that border on violence. 

When you set your face like flint . . . you are boldly showing your face. You're so determined, that you're not afraid for everybody to interpret every possible nuanced line and movement, from your forehead, all the way to your chin, where your personality most shines, and from which most light is emitted, from the human form.

If we're going to advocate face-covering . . . could we treat it as a deeply serious option? Might we even address it realistically . . . as a last resort?