| | "For WHATEVER IS HIDDEN IS MEANT TO BE DISCLOSED, and WHATEVER IS CONCEALED IS MEANT TO BE BROUGHT OUT INTO THE OPEN". Jesus, Mark 4:22 NIV (Capitals are mine for emphasis)
SINCE THEY DID NOT HAVE ANOTHER CHIMP TO TAKE HIS PLACE, THEY DECIDED TO PUT A HUMAN BEING IN A CHIMP SUIT TO ENTERTAIN THE VISITORS
Recently I heard a story about a man who was out of work. In order to pay his bills and support his family, he was desperate for any kind of employment. Finally, he found a job at the local zoo. The chimpanzee, who had been a popular attraction, had died. Since they did not have another chimp to take his place, they decided to put a human being in a chimp suit to entertain the visitors. He would beat his chest, eat bananas and make all kinds of gestures to the delight of the crowd, who did not realize that it was not a real chimp, but a man in a chimpanzee suit.
WHEN THE LION HAD HIM CORNERED, HE THOUGHT THAT HE WAS GOING TO BE KILLED AND EATEN
One day during his performance, he was not too careful, lost his balance, and fell into the lion's cage. The lion lunged at him and roared. The man in the chimp suit ran in fear for his life. When the lion had him cornered, he thought that he was going to be killed and eaten. At this point, the man in the chimp suit, cried out, "Stop! I'm not a chimpanzee. I am a man. Don't kill me". To which the lion replied, "Shut up, you fool. You'll get us both fired".
WHAT WOULD BE REVEALED IF EVERYONE IN A NEIGHBORHOOD, A WORKPLACE, A CHURCH, A UNIVERSITY, OR A SPORTS TEAM WERE EXPOSED FOR WHO THEY REALLY ARE?
As it turned out, the man in the chimp suit was not the only impostor. How many people are hiding their true identify behind a mask? What would be revealed if everyone in a neighborhood, a workplace, a church, a university, or a sports team were exposed for who they really are? What do they do when they think that no one is looking or listening? How many husbands or wives have been shocked to discover what their mate is really like after the honeymoon is over? How many have misrepresented themselves during their courtship in order to win over the other person, only to have their true character later exposed?
GAMBLING ADDICTIONS AND MAFIA CONNECTIONS ARE HIDDEN BEHIND THE FACADE OF MULTIMILLION DOLLAR CASINOS AND ENTERTAINMENT CENTERS
Today, In some American teen cultures, it is popular for even young men to wear make-up. How could this be? Rejection and emotional wounds have cut so deeply into their psyche that they do not want anyone to see them as they actually are. Gambling addictions and mafia connections are hidden behind the facade of multimillion dollar casinos and entertainment centers. There are men who have become morbidly obese due to the fact that they have suffered some type of rejection from a member of the opposite sex, and their excess weight is "a form of protection from getting too close to another person, and once again being hurt". (I am not talking about those with medical problems who have no control over their weight.)
IT IS COMMON PRACTICE FOR CRIMINALS IN ROBBING BANKS TO WEAR MASKS TO CONCEAL THEIR IDENTITIES
In Africa, masks carved out of wood are popular souvenirs. In times past, they were used during tribal conflicts, thinking that the fierce countenance on the warrior's face would scare the enemy. During Halloween, children wear masks to disguise their identities while they go from door to door, saying "Trick or treat". In some wealthy societies, men and women wear elaborate costumes in what are known as masquerade parties, with face masks to cause the other guests to try and guess who is who. It is common practice for criminals in robbing banks to wear masks to conceal their identities so as not to be later known when what has been recorded on hidden cameras is later viewed by the police.
TRANSPARENCY IS WHAT OTHERS ARE LOOKING FOR IN US
With so many moral failures in the world and in the church, people are shocked when they find out that leaders who professed to be one thing, were "leading a double-life". It is time for all of us to look in the mirror--the Word of God--and see ourselves for who we are without any high-sounding titles, fancy clothes, impressive positions or emotional masks. Transparency is what others are looking for in us. We are by no means "finished products", but still "under construction". Let each of us be what we are without glossing it over. And where improvements and changes need to be made, we can do them without any cover-ups "by the grace of God". |
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