Lepers of today

Four forty-five came early. The birds were yet in bed and my body thought I should be, too. Another morning of clinicals had arrived and we had to be up before the break of dawn to go to Chattanooga. I was able to crack my eyelids open enough to receive an important lesson that I will never forget. It came from a delightful book entightled "The Desire of Ages" by the inspiring author, Ellen G. White.

My reading started off on page 262 by saying, "Of all diseases known in the East the leprosy was most dreaded. Its incurable and contagious character, and its horrible effect upon its victims, filled the bravest with fear..." It continues about lepers and specificly one that was guided to Jesus. About him it says, "He was a loathsome spectacle. The disease has made frightful inroads, and his decaying body is horrible to look upon. At sight of him the people fall back in terror. They crowd upon one another in their eagerness to escape from contact with him. Some try to prevent him from approaching Jesus, but in vain..." Pressing to Jesus he cast himself at His feet and cried out that if Jesus would, He could make him clean. Jesus replied, "I will; be thou clean," and laid His hand upon him (Matt. 8:3).

At six-thirty Kindred Hospital welcomed us with bright lights. As a result of some challenges with our clinical instructor, I had the privilege of following the wound care nurses around. One particular patient stands out in my mind more than most. The nurses told me about him, and when we finally entered his room, I could sense that something was different. It was not the lighting. It wasn't the furniture or the arrangement of things. Something was different in my mind. I felt somewhat closed toward this patient and didn't really feel like assisting as I had previously. I tried to smile and be kind, but I was afraid to get too close. Why? Simply because this patient had AIDS.

When clinicals were over and I had time to think over the day, my morning devotions really hit home. In Jesus' day everyone was afraid of lepers and would not dare to go near them. One such outcast came to Jesus to be healed, and not only did Jesus speak kindly to him, but Matthew 8:3 says that He "laid His hand upon him." Do we have such a deep love for our fellow man as Jesus has for each of us dirty sinners? How can we learn to love with the unfailing love of our Savior?