When Damien de Veuster arrived in Hawaii in 1864, he found an island-community beset by infections. Over the years, travelers and seamen had introduced diseases like influenza and syphilis. Yet none were as bad as Hansen’s Disease, more commonly known as leprosy.
In 1866, to curb the spread of the disease, Hawaiian authorities consigned lepers to an isolated community on the island of Molokai. On three sides, the colony, called Kalaupapa, bordered the Pacific Ocean, and the fourth side featured massive, 1,600-foot cliffs. Once the lepers were out of sight and no longer a threat to the general population, the government turned a blind eye to their basic needs. Shipments of food and supplies slowed down, and the government removed most of its personnel. The result was a highly dysfunctional community marked by poverty, alcoholism, violence, and promiscuity.
In time, Damien came to see the neglected colony as the answer to his boyhood longings for adventurous missionary work. He asked the local bishop for permission to go to Molokai, and the bishop introduced Damien to the 816 community members as “one who will be a father to you and who loves you so much that he does not hesitate to become one of you, to live and die with you”. This introduction didn’t surprise Damien, who had no illusions about what his mission would entail. He knew working in the disease-ridden colony virtually guaranteed that he would become infected, too. Yet he never wavered in his commitment.
Damien’s superiors had given him strict advice: “Do not touch them. Do not allow them to touch you. Do not eat with them.” But Damien transcended his fear of contagion and entered into solidarity with the Molokai lepers. He committed to visit every leper on the island and to inquire of their needs. He brought the sacraments to bedridden lepers. He washed their bodies and bandaged their wounds. He tidied their rooms and did all he could to make them as comfortable as possible.
What surprised the lepers most was that Damien touched them. Other missionaries and doctors shrank from the lepers. In fact, one local doctor only changed bandages with his cane. But Damien not only touched the lepers, he also embraced them and dined with them; he put his thumb on their forehead to anoint them, and he placed the Eucharist on their tongues. These actions spoke volumes to the dejected lepers. They showed that Damien didn’t want to serve them from afar; he wanted to become one of them.
Eventually, Damien contracted leprosy and succumbed to the very disease of the people he had willingly to served. But Damien’s sacrifice and example influenced thousands of people for eternity.
Damien’s story is a powerful example of the impact that Christians and the church have had throughout history as they stepped into challenging situations and trying moments. It is in those dark times that the light of the church shines brightest. As we learned from the message shared by Pastor Cody on September 27th, we are called to be the “salt of the earth and the light of the world.”
2020 has been a tumultuous time for our community, nation, and world. COVID-19, civil unrest, political division, economic peril, and even wildfire and rare weather events have combined to make this a year to remember (although most of us would probably like to forget it). And these circumstances have had an impact. According to the US Census Bureau, in May of this year, one-third of American adults reported increased levels of anxiety or depression in their lives. It is not an easy time, and if you have been struggling, you are not alone. Yet, we know that the church is made for this moment. We are here to bring help and hope. We are here to remind each other, and those in our community, that we have a hope and a future.
So how do we do that? We have to practice a little “show and tell.” Our message of hope has to be seen and heard. In Matthew 5:16, Jesus tells us, “Let your light shine before people so they will see your good works and give glory to Your Father in heaven.” If we want to point people to Jesus (our source of hope) during these tumultuous times, our actions are the best method we have. When we serve our community as a church or when you help a neighbor or co-worker on your own, they receive hope and a door opens for us to point to Christ as the ultimate source of hope and a future.
We also have to be ready to speak up as we shine on. Peter was one of Jesus’ closest disciples and was the first primary leader of the church. In a letter he wrote, which became the book of First Peter in our New Testament, Peter writes, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” (1 Peter 3:15). When everyone at work is griping about all the negative things that are going on, we can be a voice of hope. When others want to give up, we can press on. And when they see that hope in us and wonder where it comes from, it gives us the opportunity to share with them (so we better be prepared to do it).
Throughout history, when the times have been the most difficult, the church has stepped up. And we are the church right here, right now. We were made for this moment. We can lean in when everyone else is backing away, and we can be the light of the world. God has placed us in this exact moment in history to make a difference. Let’s make the most of our moment.