During our class the Life of Christ, through the gospel of Luke, one of the stories we looked at was when Jesus healed the leper. He loved the unlovable and touched the untouchable. I've never seen a leper in real life, but in that class we were shown pictures of people that were affected by the disease. It was truly saddening and eye-opening to the reality of what the people I'd read about actually went through. Lepers were the unclean, outcasts of society. It was wrong to be around one let alone touch one. Yet, Jesus loved, had compassion on him, and reached out his hand and touched him. That must have been so overwhelmingly joyous for the leper. Not only was he healed, but someone had actually reached out and gave him what he hadn't known in who knows how long. He gave him physical touch.
Touch is so important for me. While I do like my "me time", I definitely love being around people and enjoy a good hug, or pat on the back, touch to the arm...some sort of touch. Actually, touch is essential to all creatures. Research has shown that if living beings are deprived of touch it negatively effects their health. So this man who had a disease that ate away at his body, and who was absent from touch, which would've eaten away at his very being, must have been completely desperate for some sort of care. Any touch, any companionship would have lifted his spirit. His desperation led him to Jesus and his faith was rewarded with healing, of the physical nature but most likely of his spirit as well.
This past week I was sick. It had been a rough couple of days during finals and I guess my immune system was at a low. The last day of finals and day before we left to Kentucky I felt absolutely horrible. The trip over there was not enjoyable and my time over there was somewhat frustrating because I was always coughing, couldn't breathe well, mostly lost my voice, and just couldn't talk and socialize with people the way that I would had I been well. I felt worried too because I didn't want to get anyone else sick. I felt like I shouldn't be around anyone, that I should just stay to myself, keep my mouth shut, and not touch anyone. It made me sad. On Sunday after church I was taken to a clinic and the rest of the day and all of Monday I stayed shut in at the host family's house. I was away from everyone and I hated it. I wanted to be well again, just to feel good. I wanted to fearlessly be around people and touch them.
My cold, is absolutely nothing compared to a disease like leprosy, yet that was on my mind during my time alone. I was reminded how being sick and away from people, just really stinks. It made me sad and lonely. How much more the leper! How desperate he was! Christ showed him love and that is what I, as a disciple of Christ, should do too. I would warn people that I was sick so they wouldn't hold my hand or get too close, but some didn't care. They stayed around me anyway and hugged me, held my arm and hand. That made me feel loved. I need to remember that people that don't look so appealing, that are sick, that are normally outcast, those are the ones that I need to show love to. I need to love the lepers.
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