Some have fallen off one side of the horse—those who are in a state of great fear, whose trust in God in the face of adversity is withering away, and who instead place their hope ultimately in the science, the vaccines that are being administered, the restrictions on social gatherings, the wearing of masks, and the like as the only thing that will get them through the pandemic. To which, however, the psalmist reminds us: “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man” (Psalm 118:8). And again: “Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation” (Psalm 146:3).

“It is true that you hear a human being when you are baptized and when you partake of the Holy Supper. But the Word which you hear is not that of a human being; it is the Word of the living God. It is He who baptizes you; it is He who absolves you to hope in His mercy.” – Martin Luther

Then there are some who have fallen off the other side of the horse—those who think that government health orders are attacks on the church, that we should ignore and disobey those directives and instead trust God to protect us from the coronavirus rather than fallible secular authorities and medical experts. To which, however, Luther replies in his now-famous 1527 circular letter Whether One May Flee From A Deadly Plague: “Others are much too rash and reckless. They disdain the use of medicines; they do not avoid places and persons infected by the plague, but lightheartedly make sport of it. This is not trusting God but tempting him.”

In order that we might remain upright in the saddle and not fall off on either side, let us consider the subject of masks. I’m not talking, however, about mandates from our provincial governments concerning the wearing of masks and the pros and cons thereof, but rather of the masks that God wears in His good and gracious dealings with us, whether it be in the Church or in the world.

Why is that necessary? Well, ever since the fall of our first parents, we cannot see the one holy God in all His majesty and glory and dwell in His presence. He, as St. Paul writes, “dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see” (1 Timothy 6:16). This is why He told Moses, “You cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live” (Exodus 33:20). God must wear, as it were, a mask or a veil in His dealings with us sinners.

What masks does God wear when it comes to life in the Church? Luther answers: “Let no one contemplate the unveiled Divinity, but let him flee from these contemplations as from hell and the veritable temptations of Satan. Let it be the concern of each of us to abide by the signs (or masks) by which God has revealed Himself to us, namely, His Son, born of the virgin Mary and lying in His manger among the cattle; the Word; Baptism; the Lord’s Supper; and absolution. In these images (or masks) we see and meet a God whom we can bear, one who comforts us, lifts us up into hope, and saves us.”

And again he says: “It is true that you hear a human being when you are baptized and when you partake of the Holy Supper. But the Word which you hear is not that of a human being; it is the Word of the living God. It is He who baptizes you; it is He who absolves you to hope in His mercy. It is a great ingratitude to slight these faces (or masks) of God, as Scripture calls them, and meanwhile to look for other appearances and revelations.”

The same is true when it comes to physical life in this world—including, yes, matters pertaining to the pandemic such as vaccines, medical personnel, government health orders, and the like. God wears a mask—many masks, in fact. In his exposition on Psalm 147, Luther puts it this way: “God could easily give you grain and fruit without your plowing and planting. But He does not want to do so. Neither does He want your plowing and planting alone to give you grain and fruit; but you are to plow and plant and then ask His blessing. What else is all our work to God—whether in the fields, in the garden, in the city, in the house, in war, or in government—but just such a child’s performance, by which He wants to give His gifts in the fields, at home, and everywhere else? These are the masks of God, behind which He wants to remain concealed and do all things.”

He concludes: “Make the bars and gates, and let Him fasten them. Labour, and let Him give the fruits. Govern, and let Him give His blessing. Fight, and let Him give the victory. Preach, and let Him win hearts. Take a husband or a wife, and let Him produce the children. Eat and drink, and let Him nourish and strengthen you. And so on. In all our doings He is to work through us, and He alone shall have the glory from it.” And that is what it means to remain upright in the saddle and not fall off on either side.

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Rev. Timothy Teuscher is President of Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC).