Lepers

A  documentary on TV showed  the young people of Culion  in Palawan taking pride in  their municipality disregarding a common fear of people  for this island which was noted to be a leper colony since 1906.

I grew up with that same degree of dread that Culion means lepers. Did you know that the first contingent of 670 leper patients were brought from Cebu, and subsequently from other areas, eventually creating one of the largest leprosaria in the world?

Today, the “stigma” of being referred to as the “Island of the Living Dead” or the “Island of No Return” is still stuck in the people’s mind. That’s why it is remarkable how the new generation in Culion is standing up with a brave declaration that there is no need to be afraid to come  to Culion.

Well, Culion will always remind us of life in the Philippines where leprosy was still an incurable disease, but today  has become a testament to how leprosy was eradicated in our country and in the world and how technology and advances in medicine have improved and changed the way we live. Therefore, come and visit Culion, the residents are now saying.

It is a struggle to make people change their mindset or perception about anything.

The classic quotation says it: “First impressions last,” so what people have attuned their minds to believe is hard to shake up.

Last Friday, the gospel in Luke talked about a leper who, upon seeing Jesus, pleaded with Him to heal him. That TV documentary I watched was shown Wednesday I think. So after reading the gospel last Friday, I told myself, why all these referrals to lepers? That brought me to writing this column.

The leper in the story of St. Luke did something quite remarkable. He approached Jesus confidently and humbly, expecting that Jesus could and would heal him.

Just like Culion island that continues to carry the stigma of being a leper colony, this leper knew he would  be stoned or shunned  by people if he came near Jesus. But he bravely approached Jesus because he fully trusted that Jesus would  not turn away from him in disgust.

And Jesus did that. He healed the leper physically, emotionally and spiritually. He showed love, compassion, and tenderness.

People would have regarded it a grave risk to even come near a leper. In the same way that some of us will continue to feel queasy to even visit Culion and instead prefer to enjoy the neighboring municipality of Coron, the more popular tourist destination in Palawan.

What is it in a person that makes us turn our head (and hearts) away? Our judgmental character makes it even harder for us to take the risk, just as Jesus did by touching the leper, to accept, forgive and come near the “lepers” around us – the people we dislike or mistrust for fear that we will be regarded as “bakya”, “no taste” to stoop to their level or fear to be  infected by their weaknesses.

It is a harsh world but God made it  a beautiful one. Take our harshness to Mother Nature and total disregard to its pristine existence. Our negligence has brought havoc to our lives. Because  forests are ugly looking, we chop the trees down. Because a hilly area appears drab and lifeless, we bulldoze  it and set up  high buildings.

We judge quickly through our eyes. If we can learn to see how beautiful nature is, as it is, we would have kept our world a showcase of God’s love and sense of beauty.

We judge people quickly by what they appear to be. We still continue to ignore the “lepers” around us—those ravaged with diseases, those clad in poor clothes or those sporting plain faces. Imagine if we didn’t nurture hatred, envy, and cruelty. Wouldn’t peace and love prevail everywhere?

I know it’s easier said than done, but Jesus, as a human being, was able to show compassion to the sick and the sinners. Father Damien of Molokai, after 16 years caring for the physical, spiritual, and emotional needs of those in a leper colony, eventually contracted and died of the disease but became known as a “martyr of charity” and later, a saint. In the 21st century, Blessed Teresa lived a life of humility and love for the poor, the sick and the helpless.

And so we can also be as humble and loving as they are. Centuries may separate us from them but love is timeless. It crosses ages and generations. And by calling on God’s grace, love and humility will stop us in thinking we are more powerful, better or richer than others.

No one takes honor for himself, but only when called by God. And He is the only judge over people, not us. “God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbor?” (James 4:12)

So when that day comes when He calls and we are face to face with Him, are we ready to tell Him that we never, ever snubbed a “leper” in our life? If not, start living it now before it’s too late.