While in China we visited several Leprosy Colonies.
In China, lepers are very stigmatized so even if they look normal they are
cast out of cities and towns. Even their families are
forced to leave and never return.
forced to leave and never return.
So out in the Chinese country side you will find villages full of
lepers and their families.
lepers and their families.
In these places they have such strong communities.
They are some of the only places in China that you can freely worship and speak about
Jesus Christ.
Before I went I prayed for the Lord to give me His eyes so I would not be
frightened to encounter or touch people disfigured by this disease.
The Lord, needless to say, answered my prayers.
As soon as I walked into the gates I saw disfigured people everywhere,
but I was not phased. I was not phased because I knew
that on the inside we all look the same and that
to Jesus this physical abnormality meant nothing.
Later I spent time with a woman on the verge of death.
She was moaning in her bed and was so frail.
It took me by surprise that my first thought was of my dying
grandmother, but it was this thought that evoked compassion in me
like I had never felt before.
I sat right next to her in her pee stained bed and showed her pictures.
I rubbed her back, not afraid to touch her.
She had one leg, no fingers, and scabs on her wrinkly skin.
I held her and sat with her.
Many times I thought of the verse in Matthew 25:40.
"I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of
the least of these brothers of mine,
you did for me."
If this was Jesus, Himself, I would not deny Him a hug or a smile.
So why would I deny these people human contact and love just because
they look different on the outside than I do?
My friend Kelly and I sang to her.
We just happen to be the worst singers in all of HMS but
the lady loved it. She rocked to the music and when we stopped
she wanted us to continue.
While Kelly and I belted out worship music I found myself laughing
and crying at the same time.
Laughing at our terrible singing but crying due to
extreme brokenness.
When we left the old lady we kissed her on the cheek.
She smiled.
She actually smiled.
What a change had been made in her Spirit from the time when
we had first arrived in her room.
It is amazing what Jesus can do just through love.
What we did was not hard.
But that is the simplicity of the gospel.
Love.
Love.
Love.
Love and people will look into the face of our savior.
