Love Speaks Volumes

I remember reading a story about an evangelist who visited one of the leper colonies in India. I don’t remember who it was or even where I read the story, but I’m pretty sure it was a true story.  They had all the lepers gather together in a large tent, waiting to hear what the evangelist had to say. As he stood in front of them, though, he wondered, God, what could I possibly say to them? They were in various stages of leprosy, living in a colony, separated from friends and family, ostracized from their communities. As he stood there, he was overwhelmed with love for them. He went up to one of the lepers in the front row, leaned down, and hugged him. Then he hugged the next man. And the next. And the next. Until he had hugged every person there, and they were all weeping.

You have to understand that leprosy is still as controversial today as it was back in Jesus' day. No one touches lepers. They are the untouchables. Leprosy is an awful disease, and people have a right to fear catching it. That’s why these individuals had been sent away. Imagine how long it had been since any one of them had received any kind touch at all, let alone an embrace.

After that, you better believe those men were open to the gospel, and many of them came to saving faith in Jesus. That hug was better than any message the evangelist could’ve given, regardless of how talented he was.

Love spoke volumes.

When I think about the untouchables in our society today, I wonder, How can we show them love?

I’ve seen men and women who go to Pride parades wearing T-shirts that say, "Free Mom hugs" or "Free Dad hugs." Inevitably, people take them up on the offer. I have seen videos online of individuals who have accepted a mom or dad hug and end up outright weeping. As though it has been a long time since they had a hug from their mom or dad. Maybe their parent was no longer around. Or maybe, their parent had rejected or ostracized them, their own child, as an untouchable. It’s beautiful and sad at the same time.

When I was on church staff for a brief time, I helped to start and run a refugee welcome team. One of the first families we welcomed was a Muslim family from the Middle East. Some of the church members complained and objected to us helping a Muslim family, but our Outreach Director held firm to the belief that God didn’t just tell us to love Christians, but to love everyone. Boy, did we love on this family! The parents and their two beautiful girls.

About two to three months after they arrived, the whole family came to our church, and the father stood in front of us to thank us for all we had done for them. He said to us through the interpreter that they had left behind all our family in their home country, but that now, we were their family.

Do you have any idea what a big deal it is for a Muslim man to stand in a Christian church, first of all, but secondly, to call us family? That’s what love does.

That’s what love does. It breaks down walls. Tears down barriers and biases and prejudices. It makes us aware of how we are all part of one family. The human race.

Doesn’t the Bible say we love because He first loved us? We don’t love because we want something back or as a means of manipulating people. We love because Christ's love is in us.

It is love that changes hearts and minds. That moves people deep in their spirits. That brings people to God.

As Christians, we often walk around with our quick judgments and hateful comments, as though that is what will show people God. It is as though we seem to think that we can save the world through passing stricter laws and enforcing Christian bias. But that’s not how this works.

After all, that’s not what Jesus did. The disciples wanted him to take over the Roman government and re-establish Israel's rule, but He didn’t. Instead, He taught them how to love. How to love everyone. Not just those people who were like them. Not just the "clean" people. But the untouchables, too.

If only we would do the same.

If only we would actually follow Jesus and believe that He meant the words He said.

If only.

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