In 1996, I toured India with a four man team holding crusades across the south. [MADRAS and Hyderabad area]
During breaks, we visited churches, hospitals and various Christian groups. One day, we were scheduled to visit a local leper colony, and we arrived in a ramshackle, walled in village. The lepers, about 80 or so, were supported by various western charities, and lived in extreme meagerness.....very basic. Food and rags in bathroom sized huts. [most of their money was stolen by their handlers, as it happens in India.]
Leprosy is an oozing external virus-cancer, that eats away at the flesh. Sores, with white scabs, break open and grow. Lips, noses, eyes, genitals, hands, feet ; nothing is spared that has skin. It is painful and smelly, as bandages or rags must be constantly changed to catch the ooze. It is highly contagious, among the most in the world.
So, in this environment, I stood ready, with my companions, to greet my brothers and sisters. They came out in file, and stood before us, with grey and black rags covering themselves. Perhaps they stood fifteen feet away." How would they respond to us?",I thought.
The clash was remarkable. we arrived in new Indian Land Rovers, dressed in multi-color indian-american posh, so rich, so sleek, and oh yes, with our cameras flashing. It was a show. They were unpaid performers, earning their rent.
And perform they did. They began to sing christian Hymns, in Hindi, but with western melodies, so we would get it. This was all designed, of course, so that their "Christian" handlers could graft more money for themselves from their western charities, at their expense.
As I watched, the more grieved I became. It was as though my family were turned into trained monkeys, like the organ grinder. They sang their hearts out, and tried to smile, as they sang on. I became so sad, and began to weep. I tried to hold it in, but could not.
Their songs ended, after a while, and the group of about twenty in the Land rovers signaled to me to come, and move on. I could not. My feet would not let me. I stood, half stunned, as I was moving toward the lepers. My evangelist friends began to yell, loudly, "Let's go!"
I found my self in front of the leper colony, walking down their line, with tears streaming, as I looked into the eyes of rejection and pain. I embraced each one of them, and planted the biggest kiss I had ever given, on each of their cheeks. God's love was pouring out of me. I did not leave one out.
By the time I got to the cars, everyone was silent. Not a word.
I looked upon the leper family. They were all weeping, with their hands lifted high in worship to Jesus. I saw glory.
I have always had failure as my companion in many ways, in my life, even before the Lord, or mostly. I am nothing, but as the years have rolled on, I wonder if this brief moment was not my finest hour. I was used by Jesus my Savior, to Love.