Thought for the Day, Friday 14th February

Good morning.

I have been thinking about the story of Hansen’s disease, or leprosy as the disease is better known.

Nowadays, you would seldom see leprosy in Britain, but it is still common in India, in Brazil and Indonesia. About 150,000 new cases are recorded each year, from 100 different countries.

Drug therapy and surgical treatment now do so much good to leprosy sufferers. What remains to be done?

Well, the stigma and the laws against these people continue. There are still over one hundred laws in place stipulating segregation and restricting possibilities for employment, travel and visas. There are international organisations working diligently, campaigning to have these laws made more just.

Another effort is in progress, trying to erase the name leprosy and replace it with Hansen’s disease. 

On Monday, I was remembering how Jesus touched the man with leprosy. Jesus didn’t need to touch the man to heal him – he touched him to show the man his loving-kindness towards him.

Jesus was giving us all a powerful example of how we should stretch out our hand with kindness, not just to people with leprosy, but to everyone who is stigmatised and suffering injustice of a similar kind in our world today.

Have a good day.

I am greatly indebted to Mairead McIver for her advice.

In memory of Donald John MacLeod. A faithful friend.