The Mask by Petra Pierre - Robertson

 

"Bright eyes gladden the heart..." Proverbs 15:30 

On April 29, 2020, at the daily press briefing, the Chief Medical Officer officially began the operationalisation of the 'New Normal'. This he said, was the forerunner to any possibility of easing restrictions arising out of COVID-19. He introduced six aspects of the 'New Normal', one of which was the wearing of masks.


Covered faces and expressionless eyes

It was and still is startling to move around amid covered faces and mostly expressionless eyes. With lips now covered, eyes which in the past, some could NOT look directly into while communicating, are now the only means of communication. The act of greeting must now be communicated with the eyes rather than lips which, can twitch but not necessarily smile. A smile lights up the eyes. Lips may deceive; eyes don't. So, while the mask hides the face it reveals the personality.  With the new normal, eyes expose masked feelings when they either glance, stare, look away, blink close or flutter. Warm or cold, liquid or glacial, crinkling or fluttering, with or without recognition, the eyes are a window to the soul. The physical masks have stripped the psychological masks, and are allowing glimpses into real souls; if we care to look. 

If we care to look

May what we encounter, if we look, NOT cause us to cry out: “Turn Your gaze away from
me, that I may smile again..." (Psalm 39:13)

"...that I may smile again..."

PS: Around this same time last year, the 'new normal' was imposed, so restrictions could be lifted. Now because the 'new normal' was 'lifted' (by irresponsible behavior) restrictions are now imposed.


Comments

  1. UnknownMay 1, 2021 at 5:17 PM

    Through our eyes, may others gain encouragement, hope and comfort. Truly inspiring. Blessings

    ReplyDelete
  2. Vernet HindsMay 1, 2021 at 5:58 PM

    This is deep.

    ReplyDelete
  3. GwenethMay 1, 2021 at 6:45 PM

    Appreciate these insights!

    ReplyDelete
  4. UnknownMay 1, 2021 at 6:58 PM

    "So, while the mask hides the face it reveals the personality." This piece challenges me because it reveals that I may actually know less about personalities that I perceived I knew well! Scary! #powerofthemask

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousMay 1, 2021 at 7:21 PM

    Its always said that the eyes are the portal to the soul. May others see kindness in our eyes.

    ReplyDelete
  6. UnknownMay 2, 2021 at 1:57 AM

    Our eyes says a lot about us it is the window to our soul it say when we are happy or sad so true some of us we never look at others in their.


    ReplyDelete
  7. Observer1May 2, 2021 at 5:06 AM

    "eyes which in the past, some could NOT look directly into while communicating are now the only means of communication."

    So true!
    My take, communicate truthfully!

    Thank you for your insightful observation!
    You have added to my spiritual library!

    ReplyDelete
  8. InaMay 2, 2021 at 5:07 AM

    Indeed. Got to have new vision.

    ReplyDelete
  9. UnknownMay 2, 2021 at 5:11 AM

    Well SAID PETRA 🙏🙏✍️👍Wen we See a crinkle eye it may be a SMILE return it
    BUT When we think its a frown say a PRAYER 🙏🙏
    GOD KNOWS THE DIFFERANCE KEEP WRITING
    BLESSINGS Hav a BLESS and
    SAFE DAY✍️✍️🙏🙏👍

    ReplyDelete
  10. UnknownMay 2, 2021 at 7:09 AM

    Tte eyes do not lie they tell the story of our emotions joy , sorrow , sanity , insanity , kindness, gentleness , love , anger , frustration etc. As we look we need to have the eyes of discernment and to accurately read the message being conveyed without words

    ReplyDelete
  11. UnknownMay 2, 2021 at 4:33 PM

    Insightful

    ReplyDelete
  12. JoMay 3, 2021 at 3:40 PM

    The power of the mask! It has been training us to learn to identify persons by their eyes, which has been quite interesting.

    ReplyDelete
  13. UnknownOctober 10, 2021 at 4:10 PM

    Like Job, I lower my gaze.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What's in the Darkness by Petra Pierre-Robertson

Image
Daniel 2:22 "He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him" It was early morning. The windows were closed. The curtains were drawn. The silence of morning was therapeutic as I walked through the house planning my day in my head. Three major tasks swam in my head. I headed to my 'To Do" memo pad to document them. Thankfully no major cleaning was necessary. As I passed the living room I noted a little debris on the rug so I digressed for the broom and dust tray to sweep the debris off the rug. Small debris on the rug I pulled back the curtain. The early morning sunlight seeped through. And immediately I saw them; little particles of dust in a straight line riding on the beam of the sun. Instinctively I held my breath as I walked through them. Then it occurred to me,  the particles are in the entire room. I pulled the curtain wider. Additional particles joined the ride and danced on a widened beam.  Dust particles da...
Read more

Unfinished: Allegory of a Puzzle by Petra Pierre-Robertson

Image
Unfinished... I love building puzzles! 1500 pieces and up give me a puzzle rush! What keeps me going is the visualization of the end product; more specifically the scenic photograph on the box. I love nature scenes. I keep building in anticipation of the final product regardless of how gruelling the process is. Gruelling process During the process of building when all the pieces look the same, yet are all different in colors, shapes and sizes, I sometimes get frustrated. But, as the picture grows and the pieces fit, I am encouraged to keep building. Until that final piece is in, however, no matter how much work went into it, no matter how much progress I have made, no matter how beautiful the other parts appear, no matter how the 2999 pieces fit perfectly together, until the 3000th piece is in, the puzzle is unfinished. Unfinished Think of God as the puzzle builder and think of yourself as the puzzle. As much as you have accomplished, as good as you are, God is not finished with you y...
Read more

The Promise by Petra Pierre-Robertson

Image
I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth (Genesis 9:13) A little piece Just a little piece was visible. It was beautiful . It stood out from the dark cloud as a beacon of hope. The cloud provided a picturesque canvas on which its beauty was displayed. But just a piece. Dark ominous clouds obliterated the rest of it... And also threatened to wipe out the sight of the little piece as well. Dark clouds obliterated Another piece! "Look! The other side of it is over there!" An excited outburst. "Where?" On the other side of the sky another piece of a rainbow was also visible. Well, not exactly a piece but the other end of the selfsame rainbow. There was an entire rainbow ringing the sky on the last day of 2023! However, dark clouds obliterated all but the two ends which stuck resolutely out. Another piece! The Promise The rainbow; a promise and a symbol of hope. God had set that bow in the sky after the...
Read more