ON SEEING THE HUMAN IN FRONT OF US

In Biblical times, the word "leprosy" designated several kinds of mangy, scaly skin diseases, not the condition of leprosy we know today as "Hansen's Disease." It is extremely doubtful that today's leprosy ever occurred in Palestine in Biblical times.

Therefore, when we read about Jesus Christ confronting a leper, the man was not afflicted with the kind of leprosy that degenerates nerves, causes loss of sensation, loss of muscular movement, and, finally, loss of extremities such as fingers, toes, and nose. Nevertheless, the man was rightly troubled because he was afflicted with a skin disease that caused him to be ostracized from his people. 

Francis of Assisi embraces a leper.

Interestingly, under Jewish Law, severe measures were taken to prevent the spread of skin diseases. The afflicted person was isolated from the community, was not allowed to enter settled areas. He was required to give a clear warning to other people of his condition so that they might avoid getting close to him. However, the disease was curable, but the leper was able to resume his life in the community only after a priest had verified his cure and performed the purification rite required by Law.

In the stories of his life, 13th Century Francis of Assisi is depicted as a man for others -- a man who loved others -- a man who was always there to "give a cup of cold water" to Jesus' "lowly ones." But there were many lepers around in his time, and St. Francis had a terrible fear of them. Yet he knew, somewhere deep inside, that someday he was going to have to break through that barrier of fear to move deeper into his life with God. It happened one day when he went out for a walk with his brother Leo. They heard the bells! 

In Francis' time, lepers were forced to carry little bells and ring them to warn passersby. And as the brothers listened to the distinct sound of those bells, a leper emerged from a clump of trees. Brother Leo was horrified as he looked at this sick man, disfigured by the disease. Leo turned away, but Francis ran forward and embraced the leper.

Identities are complex. There are thousands of them. Sometimes people label us. Sometimes we label ourselves. Sometimes the labels are justifiable, logical, excusable, useful. Sometimes they’re not. But that’s beside the point.

The point is that whatever identities define us, however appropriate they are, they never represent the most fundamental truth, which is both bigger and deeper. Francis understood that truth better than almost anyone.

Perhaps that’s why his embrace of the leper was not a one-time action. Rather it was an action he would repeat for the rest of his active life. Indeed, taking care of lepers became one of the acts of mercy most closely identified with Saint Francis of Assisi.

If only each one of us could follow his example, and whether we’re dealing with conflict or just dealing with everyday life, see the person before us first and foremost as a human being made in the image and likeness of God.