The Great Unveiling

 

    As my friend and I were strolling through the quiet palms on the warm pavement, the scent of moistened dust and freshly irrigated grass teased my nose. I breathed in the smell and listened to the sound of kids playing “football” (aka. soccer) under the park lights. Figures cloaked in black sat in clusters on picnic mats or park benches across the open area. They blended into the night and spoke in low voices. My friend was talking but my mind had drifted off thinking about these women veiled in black. 

    I knew that behind the blackness, sat vibrant women full of potential, beauty, and color. Yet, the culture dictated that for their safety and the sanctity of the men, the women must hide themselves from the eyes of men. I longed to go over to each of those women and lift up the veils that covered their faces and tell them how their Heavenly Father sees them. 

    In Arabic there is a specific word referring to the scarf used by women to cover their head and face. This word is “hijab” and is typically used in reference to those adhering to Islamic customs. Did you know that the Bible uses this same word in Arabic? In 2 Corinthians 3:12-14, Paul states: 

“Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to prevent the Israelites from seeing the end of what was passing away. But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away…”

    This verse translated into Arabic uses “hijab” in place of “veil”. As I continued to walk through the park, I pondered the reality of this Truth, “only in Christ is it taken away.” Though these women are physically veiled, it is not the black covering that keeps them from the Truth. Rather it is as Paul says in the next verse:

“... a veil covers their hearts. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.”

    Some people ask how I can stand wearing the black robes and occasionally the “hijab” in this country. It’s not the most convenient or practical, but I know that what I wear doesn’t define who I am. The world may see a black shrouded figure, but I know who I am and no one can take that from me! So, in that regard, wearing it or not doesn’t really bother me as long as I am walking in step with the Father. 

    The only way I, or anyone, can make a difference to these women is to demonstrate the Truth that comes from the Spirit. Paul puts this so well at the end of chapter 3:

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”

    My prayer for myself and for this country is that, “[as] we all, with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, [we would be] transformed into his image with ever increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”