"It is on the inside that lepers and wolves are first to be found. If we haven't been able to kiss many lepers, if we haven't been able to tame many wolves, it's probably because we haven't made friends with our leper and wolf within. Name your poor leper within, today. Nurse and tend her wounds. Name your inner wolf. Tame him by gentle forgiveness."(R. Rohr "Radical Grace" p. 276)
I have often found that when I am not feeling particularly beloved or lovable. When I catch myself behaving in ways that don't make sense, that I need to stop for a moment and take a look at what's going on with me. As someone who believes fully that we are all beloved children of God, why am I behaving like some out of control animal? Why do I view myself at that moment as that unclean leper that no one wants to have near them.
Jesus has some of his greatest healings with lepers. Those are the folks who if you read Leviticus have more than just the huge disease that we think of, there's actually some fairly common stuff that could get you labeled leprous. And I think today we also have lepers of a different sort. The people we shun, ostracize and feel are not worthy of our love and attention. Interesting how often the more lepers we point to, the deeper our own leprosy probably is.
And even that inner wolf is often projected outward. Jesus again often points to the hypocrisy of those who claim some huge moral superiority while being just as sinful on the inside.
When we have actually allowed God to help us to work on the problems of the "heart," we are then better equipped to help others see how God can do the same for them.
Blessings,
Ed
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