The Box That Hides the Jesus

My synagogue holds it’s High Holy day services in a church. It seems strange, but it makes sense. Our congregation isn't that large, and it would be silly to build a larger sanctuary just to house the influx of people we get for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. It’s a nice arrangement. We get a nice place to pray for the high holy days, and a good relationship with a kind church in the area.

The thing about churches, though, is that many of them have crucifixes. The church that we spend our High Holy day services at definitely does. So what out congregation does is cover that crucifix with a large…white…box thing? I'm not quite sure what to call the contraption that we use. It’s kind of like a curtain, but It covers the front and both the sides. It is very very large, and very very white.

I understand why we have the giant Jesus box, obviously, but it always rubs me as a little bit strange. The real problem though, is once we put this giant box in the very front of the congregation, all I can think about is the Jesus behind the box. I know it’s an important holiday, and I know I’m supposed to be focusing and praying and being part of the community. But all I can think about is the box with the giant Jesus.

In trying so hard to hide the Jesus, it became my focus. All I could think about was how it was hidden.

I try to hide a lot of things in my everyday life.  I hide my interests, in case people find them weird. I hide my opinions, in case they are too controversial. I hide my feelings, and my ideas, and a million other things all the time. I spend so much time and energy hiding, sometimes it feels like all I focus on is trying not to let my perceived flaws show. I spend so much time focusing on the hiding, that I've barely got any left to take in everything that’s happening around me.

I think, maybe, sometimes I’ve got to let my flaws fly. I need to focus a little bit less on the curtain, and more about what’s happening on the stage. It can be scary to let yourself be you- it can be intimidating to open yourself up to others, but it can be worth it.

I’m of course, not saying that the box hiding the Jesus isn't necessary. As weird as it is to hold a service with a giant white box in front of the congregation, it would be way weirder to hold services with a giant crucifix overlooking us all. That would be uncomfortable for everyone.

I’m not saying that some things aren't hidden for a reason, or that nothing should be hidden. I’m just saying sometimes it’s ok to let the flaws fly, and focus a little bit less on the box that hides the Jesus.