It’s easy to pretend to be someone you’re not. For example, in the first season of the television show “Castle,” the main character becomes a consultant for the police. He’s not really a consultant, but he justifies this move by saying that he’s helping the police protect people from harm. In reality, he’s a novelist looking for ideas for his next book. He often covers up his true intentions with boldfaced lies.
God has never tried to appear as something he was not. Sometimes he has veiled his face, but that was to protect rather than to deceive. However, how many times have you veiled the face of God? How many times have you watered down your theology, hemmed and hawed your way around delicate spiritual topics, or said your religion wasn’t very important? Often, you justify this by saying you’re protecting people from something they’re not ready for or preparing them to hear more of the truth later. But in reality, you’re deceiving. You’re intentionally telling falsehoods.
When you veil the face of God, you veil your face, too. You cover up your identity, which is entwined with God’s through baptism. You are special, chosen, privileged, redeemed, and saved – but when you cover up God, you cover up these attributes, too. People look at you and see someone normal. You are not normal; you are a child and a servant of God, and that’s not meant to be covered up.
You are here for a purpose: to make God known to others. This is both protective and preparatory. It’s not about you, and you don’t have to figure it out. “For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake” (2nd Corinthians 4:5). God has told you what to say. He has given you a unique identity as his child and his servant. So, use it! Make God known!