Disease is not something we are entirely comfortable with in our lives and when it comes to our own dis-ease about others we tend, still, to shun them and place them to the side. Leprosy features in both the Hebrew scriptures (2 Kings 5.1-14) and the Gospel (Mk 1.40-45), a disease which brought dis-ease to the community was marked by ostracization even to modern times (Peel Island was closed in the 50s). The term 'leper' has been part of our vernacular to designate any person who is ostracised from the group. Leprosy is a disease that is well understood today and is curable whilst leaving any disfigurement that has occurred as a result of the disease. However, our dis-ease is not so much over the disease itself but rather over the unknown, which it was in the days of Christ. How do we make whole that which is making us shun and feel dis-eased by its presence?
For most fear is the key or rather recognising our own fears and acknowledging them within our own lives. Not only our fears but those things that cause us to think in a detrimental manner. It is not something we generally dwell on when looking at our own lives or dwelling in introspection. We usually look at the positives and how we can create a better way of managing ourselves and our abilities. Our fears do not necessarily count as something that has worth. Yet, if we do not acknowledge them we will be limited by them and miss our cues in the walk of our lives with Christ. This applies equally to our own misconceptions that lead us towards actions that are detrimental towards the other and the community of Christ. The stories of the separate lepers highlight for us the two attitudes that often block our own understanding of the path that Christ is leading us down and show us the path that Christ requires of us.
In the case of Naaman which is told in the second book of Kings it is clear that his prejudice and pride are the two things that are holding him back from doing what God has asked. These are not fears but are things that often lead us astray in our thinking. They are often part of the process that generates fear within us if uncontrolled. Pride in his origins and his own cultural background prevented Naaman from accepting the simplicity of the instruction. Mixed in with this was his own prejudice against the neighbouring country. We all have these forms of issues in our lives. We are prejudicial in our judgements simply because, often, the way our parents and extended family have taught us through example either in words or in action. In seeing the other we automatically make judgements based on our own inherited knowledge. Then of course we have our own pride that tells us we should not do what we have been asked to do because it is demeaning either of our selves or what we perceive to be our position (authority, etc). Both of these attitudes heighten our fears of the other and create dis-ease in our communities.
In the Gospel, the story is not so much a story of fear but rather show us the path that Christ would have us take. In overcoming our pride and our fear we are able to reach out in empathy for those that are afflicted with what creates the disease and the dis-ease within our communities. It is about recognising that our fear of the unknown triggers our behaviour and all that it takes to understand is to reach out with an empathetic heart to determine see our way around our fear. It is our pride that instils within us a greater barrier as we have no wish to carry out those things that we feel are beneath us. This can cause issues not only for ourselves but also for the community. Think how the community reacts to the knowledge of healing causing disruption as they go out of their way to seek out the Christ rather than allowing it to be a normal part of community life. In the end either route will have reached the same conclusion as love demonstrated by Christ and love that the community demonstrates when freed from their own chains of dis-ease.
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