Easter. It has been on my mind all week. The Resurrection and the hope of that miracle, the joy of Easter morning. But honestly, I have also been thinking about a different resurrection story. I have been thinking about the leper who was healed by Jesus. In those times, the lepers were the outcast of all outcasts. They were considered sinful, unworthy and unclean. They were despised and feared not only for their contagion, but for the potential to contaminate and land others on the same reviled ash heap on which their humanity lay. There was no pity or compassion for their affliction. There was no attempt to understand their plight, to provide comfort or to tend to their wounds. There was only contempt, disgust and fear.
And it made me consider, who are the lepers today? Who is a leper to me? Who is a leper to you?
The truth is, the answer will be different for everyone. We would all like to say that we would never treat anyone like that or feel that way about anyone. But. Just look at the world right now. Look at the comment section on any controversial post. There has been a frightening escalation of contempt for each other that has led to violence in a variety of circumstances. So many have their favorite targets. Who is it that it is easy to despise, ridicule, fear, ignore, mistreat? Is it the addicted, the homeless, a political party, a gender, a race, a religion, the poor, the powerful, the refugee, the media, science, or even just that annoying neighbour that doesn’t look after her house or her kids?
Are there people who we refuse to give time or space to? People who we deem invisible or whose opinions we decide are irrelevant because we refuse to consider the merit of their experiences and background. How do we make space for those with whom we assume we have nothing in common?
The infected leper had the audacity to approach Jesus and kneel at his feet certain that He could heal him. And Jesus was brazen enough to stretch forth his hand – to the most tainted and ostracized among them – and do just that. In an instant He gave the man his life back. He showed the power of the resurrection before The Resurrection. He taught that even a leper was not beyond the time, compassion, mercy and love of Him who determines the worth of a soul.
Clearly, the resurrection is not meant to be a one time miracle and a distant hope for the future. The resurrection is a living, breathing force to lift us up, to breathe hope into wounds and weakness, and to change us in our every day, walking around lives. It is an expensive gift given to us with the expectation that we would never deny it to ourselves or keep it from each other.
It might be a jarring thought because we so often dig in and feel justified in our dismissal or rejection of others for a host of seemingly valid reasons. Our slights may be obvious or hidden from view. We may not ever overtly hurt anyone. We might just go along with popular thought and not question it. We might assume that change is possible for us but surely not them. We might only make jokes that of course we don’t mean. But even simply privately mocking those whom we don’t respect or understand is the disregard and disavowal of a life and a story.
And so I wonder. Who do we have the power to heal? Who is figuratively kneeling at our feet, asking us to see their dignity, their worth, their humanity? Who is begging to be heard, believed, forgiven, accepted? For whom would a little kindness and grace make all the difference?
When Jesus healed the leper He changed a life of sorrow and suffering to a new beginning and a second chance despite all the conventional reasons not to. When he rose on Easter morning he gave that hope to us all. It was a miracle we can share and participate in if we too, are willing to stretch forth our hand.
Something to Shay 