Worship in a leper colony (+ a video)

Everyone keeps asking questions about what it was like to visit the leper colonies… to see the lepers, to touch them, to spend time with them.

I keep searching for something profound to tell them. Some incredible answer to “what was it like to touch a leper?”… but the answer I keep coming back to is the same. They’re just people. Mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters. They’re people, like you and me. Touching a leper, shaking their hand, is the same as shaking your hand – except that their hand might be missing a few fingers. Hugging a leper is just like hugging you, except sometimes the lepers can’t see who they’re hugging, because the leprosy is causing them to go blind. And worshiping with the lepers is just like worshiping with people here in America… except there you know their faith is real and their worship is sincere. Because the lepers worship God not sitting on comfortable pews, in a
beautiful sanctuary, with all the best sound equipment – but where they are, just as they are. The lepers worship God not because they are happy and healthy, not because their family is well, not because they have a good job and everything they need – but in spite of lacking all those things. Because they don’t worship God for what He can give, but for WHO HE IS – their Savior, Comforter, Father, and Friend.

The man you see playing Tom’s drum is losing his vision to leprosy. If you look closely you’ll see he’s playing the drum to worship with no fingers on his left hand and only two that remain on his right. Yet he is worshiping joyfully…

We have much to learn from our brothers and sisters overseas…