Different Faces

Have you ever read the story about Jekyll and Hyde? Here's a quick run down from IMDb.com:

"Henry Jekyll is a troubled man. His wife died of pneumonia. He wants his sister-in-law, but her father forbids any contact. And his experiments into the dual nature of man have yielded a personality-splitting drug that he has tested on himself, changing him into an uninhibited brute who seeks violent and undignified pleasures. Jekyll quickly becomes addicted to the sordid freedom induced by the drug. He can commit the most enjoyably revolting deeds, then return to his laboratory and use an antidote to change back to his original form, so that his lofty persona remains untarnished. But Jekyll's forbidden affair with his sister-in-law becomes a scandal, and with the growing rage within him, his other self no longer needs the drug for release. As Jekyll loses control of his transformations and his antidote becomes less effective, the police begin to suspect his part in his alter-ego's increasing violence."

So that may seem a little extreme and it is but its a starting point for me.

I've noticed for some time now that people (in general) have different faces. When parents are around people revert back to how they are at home which is sometimes completely different than how that person is really known to be. When siblings are around, especially if there was a little rivalry growing up, a person will try to show off and make life appear better than it really is. Even when certain friends are around people act differently to keep whatever appearence they may have with the person how they want it.

It makes me wonder how many people do this with other things in life like church. I know it happens, even here at the WU. I see it every week. Sunday morning we're one person, when we can actually crawl out of bed. And then throw in Wednesday night if you work with a group of kids at church. And then Monday thru Saturday we're someone else. And if that's here on campus, what about outside the bubble? How can we be trusted if we're always changing who we really are?

It was a little bit of a stretch with the Jekyll & Hyde but I see the relationship all the time. It takes time to get to know someone so well that you can see the differences between their Jekyll & Hyde self. And once I'm at that point with someone, it irritates me when I notice it while its happening.

I'm not trying to exclude myself from any of this because I struggle with it too. But why can't we just be ourselves? Don't pretend to be someone else. Be yourself and if you don't like who you are--well that's a whole other topic...