成人快手

A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with the Rev Canon Susanna Gunner.

Good morning.

There鈥檚 something powerful about strings of small, simple words. Describing winter鈥檚 bare trees for example, Shakespeare adds the evocative phrase 鈥渨here late the sweet birds sang鈥�. This little clutch of monosyllables slows the reader down and underlines the poignancy.

Something similar happens in Mark鈥檚 fast, frenetic gospel and it gets me every time. Kneeling at Jesus鈥� feet, a man with leprosy begs, 鈥淚f you want to, you can make me clean鈥�. And Jesus responds: 鈥淚 do want to. Be clean.鈥� Nothing could be simpler but at the same time, nothing could be more life-changing. The man鈥檚 small words are full of need: Jesus鈥� succinct reply hold鈥檚 heaven鈥檚 longing for healing.

Though it can now be cured if caught early, leprosy is still out there, fomenting fear. The stigma is deep, as Darcey Bussell discovered when visiting Mozambique. So moved was she by the stories she heard that she鈥檚 now flying the flag for the Leprosy Mission鈥檚 campaign to rid Mozambique of the disease for ever.

Three tiny words lie at the heart of it all: 鈥榟ubs of hope鈥� 鈥� the simple name for the life-changing support centres for those disabled by the disease and driven from their families. And crucially, the 鈥榟ubs of hope鈥� also train those tasked with changing the fear around leprosy to love. 鈥楥hangemakers鈥�, as they鈥檙e known, set out to reflect God鈥檚 unconditional love. Like Jesus, they long to help people reintegrate and thrive.

When we encounter prejudice and pain, may we too be changemakers, O God.

Amen.