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| leper's hands |
The stigma in the past and today
By today’s standards, the Leviticus rulings about leprosy are harsh and discriminatory. However, not so long ago, similar practices could be found all over the world. Leprosy is a contagious disease for which there was no cure. The only protection available was to isolate those infected; and that isolation was exclusion, transforming the lepers into outcasts. They were considered unclean; and because of their uncleanness, they should stay away from villages and from people. The protection of the community was more important than the safeguard of individuals. At this time, a cure has been found and we know that leprosy is much less contagious than we thought, if basic measures of prevention are used.
Nowadays, dealing with the pandemic of HIV/AIDS, we speak of stigma, but that is nothing compared with what the lepers suffered. In fact, I have witnessed many families who care with kindness and love for their sick relatives.
In the case of leprosy, those infected were thrown out of the community and left to their own fate, rotting away until death felt mercy on them. With HIV/AIDS, the infected people remain among us, and most of the times lead a normal life, until the sickness takes hold of them. Behind, they leave their children, for others to take care of them. Many times, the burden falls upon the grandparents, who are themselves in need of being cared for.
Jesus allowed lepers to come close to him and, full of compassion, healed them. We may ask ourselves if we are like Jesus in the day we deal with people suffering from HIV/AIDS. Are we compassionate? Do we take care of the orphans and the widows? Do we support the grandparents who are overburdened with caring for the grand-children? Here, we means individuals, communities and government.
Maybe, we can do more and better.
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