#12- The Invisibility of God: Damien in with the lepers

H/T Andrew Katay for giving me this illustration.
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Have you heard the story of Father Damien? A missionary to the island of Molokai in Hawaii? In the 1800s, there was no cure for the leprosy. So, in order to prevent it from spreading, the Hawaiian government would send lepers to a secluded colony on Molokai.

In 1873, a young priest named Damien volunteered to spend his life serving the lepers. What he saw were people who desperately needed to know the answer to a question "where is God?"

They needed God's presence in their life.

And so, in 1873, Father Damien went to live among the 700 lepers, knowing the dangers. He built hospitals, clinics, and churches. And the whole while he was giving them the answer to that question...

Where is God?

And whenever a church service was held, he would stand up in front of the lepers, and he would warmly, and lovingly address them as "my dear brethren." But then one morning in 1885, at the age of 45, in a calm clear voice, instead of "my dear brethren," he began with, "My fellow lepers, I am one of you now."

It was out of love that this man became one of them. He shared with them the answer to the ever present question... "Where is God?"

And the only way he could give them the answer is by becoming one of them.

Jesus did that for us.

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