costumes of morality
josh kaplan's journal, 12/02/2017
An old friend told me a story about a guy in his neighborhood who everyday dressed in work clothes; painted-up coveralls, work boots etc, even though he was not encumbered by any employment obligations, past, present , or future, and walked throughout the small community talking about the various jobs he was doing, portraying himself as a contributing member of the local work force.
My friend, who spoke mockingly of this man, was himself a professional carpenter and handyman (to his credit, he is one of the consistently hardest working people i have known) and as such, was privy to much of the local gossip and dirt, and knew this man's story in detail.
In my youth, i was less contoured mentally to grasp both sides of this tale, and viewed the pretender with disdain. Relating this story, i unexpectedly find myself feeling sorry for the man, who so desperately wanted to be respected and accepted by his neighbors that he daily put on this 'costume of purpose' and lived a life of secret shame.
Putting on the work clothes did not make this sad man a worker.
i started this to talk about costumes of pretense, my friend the carpenter's story serving as the analogy, but examining this more thoroughly has revealed a component of morality, which seems to me far more important.
wearing the torah does not make one a jew.
wearing the new testament does not make one a christian.
wearing the quran does not make one a muslim.
wearing morality does not make an individual moral.
costumes. mean. nothing.
actions. mean. everything.
i think a great many people have yet to learn to tell the difference between what is costume and what is real, in themselves and in others.
The sad man dressed and acted as he did to mask his shame; not to coerce, steal, or manipulate for his own gain. This costume is relatable, and ultimately, should be viewed with compassion, understanding, and forgiveness.
costumes of morality are another story entirely. we see them daily in every news feed. lawmakers standing on a soapbox of lies and deception, levering their arguments with references to holy tomes and artificially constructed 'truths'. they sicken me and fill me with rage. These transgressions, these costumes of morality, in the mind of this author, are unforgivable.
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