In today’s meditation we pray with Luke 5:12-16 (NIV & NRSV mix), which tells of an encounter between Jesus and a man suffering with leprosy.

This man with leprosy

(and Jesus)

lived in a culture,

which observed a law,

which decreed

regarding diseases affecting the skin

(ie leprosy):

Anyone with such a defiling disease must wear torn clothes, let their hair be unkempt, cover the lower part of their face and cry out, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ As long as they have the disease they remain unclean. They must live alone; they must live outside the camp. (Leviticus 13:45-46)

A good reminder of how fortunate we are to live in an era with developed understandings of contagion and dignity, even if the face masks and social distancing are all too familiar!

But I share it with you to fill out your imagination as you listen to the text. “A man came along who was covered with leprosy.” Here you can wonder: how long has this man had to live alone, outside of the town, feeling unwell? How long has it been since he’s been able to hug his mum or hold hands with his son? When did he last become ritually clean, so that he could enter the temple? When was he last allowed to wear decent clothing and cut his hair? Which of these is the hardest for him today? Hear him announcing “Unclean, unclean” that people may give him a wide berth and not accidentally touch him. And remember that to touch him would not only render the other person unclean for at least the rest of the day, but expose them to the illness as well.

Let your imagination fill in as many details as possible.

As always, thank you for sharing your meditation space with me and blessings as you pray.

Contemplative at Home offers guided meditative prayer – space to slow down and listen to the truth that is being born out of God’s love for you today – drawing on Ignatian spirituality and at times, Lectio Divina.

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All music by Pete Hatch.