Leprosy as a challenge
Leprosy is a debilitating, disfiguring disease that brings social exclusion and humiliation to millions of sufferers across the world. It is so deeply burned into the human psyche that in some languages the noun for the victims alone causes fear and disgust. Hence the pejorative term Leper, meaning undesirable or ostracised.
Yet Leprosy is curable and preventable and with sufficient human effort could be eradicated completely from the world.
Leprosy is neither good nor bad, it just is. It is the meaning that people give to the disease that exacerbates or relives the suffering of the victims. If your theology or philosophy accepts it as a challenge to be overcome then that it what it is. If you see your life’s purpose is to help others, and Leprosy is your vocation, then that is what you will make it. If you believe it is your destiny to do some good in this world, then the eradication of Leprosy just might be your calling.
I see Leprosy as a focal point to help people come together in a common cause, and to do good work. When you do something for someone else, you grow as a person and feel better yourself. The more you help, the more people help you to achieve your aims and realise your vision. This is the law of reciprocity.
This website is dedicated to getting everyone in the world to work together for a common purpose – to bring an end to Leprosy. Perhaps if we can work together to do that, then the world might be a better place.
Bruce Thompson
14 January 2009