Unmasking the True Self

“There will be time, there will be time / To prepare a face to meet the faces that you meet.”

—T.S. Eliot, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock

We've all been there.  

We were just asked by a friend a question that is asked more than any other question we pose to one another as human beings.  It's a question that we ask without really expecting an answer, or, at the very least, an answer that is real.  

"How are you doing?"

When we are asked that question, we have a choice to make in that moment, and most of the time, the choice is made without much thought.  We can respond by telling the truth, or we can respond the way that we are expected to respond by saying, 

"Fine," or "Good," which is also acceptable. 

God forbid that we tell others how we really feel, right?  We don't want to sound like that person we know who is always complaining, bemoaning their fate, or oversharing every time they meet someone.  

But there's a world of responses that exist between a rote response of "Fine" and being that person, isn't there?  And it's within that world that we ought to be able to find a space to be real and vulnerable.  

We are experts at hiding. Some of us wear smiles that don't reach our eyes. Others wear ambition, sarcasm, perfectionism, or detachment like armor. We learn early in life that certain parts of us might be unacceptable—too messy, too sensitive, too weak—and so we begin to mask. We show the world a polished, curated version of ourselves because we fear judgment, rejection, or worse: indifference.

T.S. Eliot’s haunting lines capture this all-too-human tendency. “There will be time, there will be time / To prepare a face to meet the faces that you meet.” It suggests that life becomes a performance, a rehearsed interaction where we put on the “right” face for each setting—never quite real, never quite whole.

But what if we took the risk of removing the mask?

The Apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 4:2 (NIV): 

“We have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God.” 

This verse reminds us that integrity (wholeness) comes not from hiding who we are, but from revealing who we are. When our inner self aligns with our outward actions, we become whole. We gain not just integrity, but freedom.

There is a kind of peace that can only come when we stop pretending.

Yes, vulnerability is risky. We might be misunderstood, even rejected. But we also might find something beautiful: true companionship, deep love, and authentic connection. When we take off the mask, we discover who really sees us—and still chooses us.

There is no peace in hiding. But there is peace in being known.

Today, be brave enough to show up as yourself. Practice courageous vulnerability. Speak honestly, love freely, weep openly, and laugh without restraint. The world doesn’t need another mask—it needs you. The real you. The one created in the image of God, fearfully and wonderfully made.

There will be time. But why not now?  May it be so. 

Prayer:
God who knows me fully and loves me still, give me the courage to take off the masks I wear. Help me to walk in truth, to live with integrity, and to trust that I am enough as I am. Let my life be a witness to the power of being real. Amen.