CONTAGIONS
Today's reading: Leviticus 11-13

"Those who suffer from any contagious skin disease must tear their clothing and allow their hair to hang loose. Then as they go from place to place, they must cover their mouth and call out, Unclean! Unclean! As long as the disease lasts, they will be ceremonially unclean and must live in isolation outside the camp." Leviticus 13:45-46 NLT

My Bible commentary says, 'A person with a contagious skin disease had to perform this strange ritual to protect others from coming too near. Because the disease described was contagious, it was important that people stay away from those who had it.'

Makes sense to those of us living in the age of germs, doesn't it.

They didn't have GermX.

They didn't have Lysol.

They didn't have Clorox wipes.

They had to let folks know they were contagious by way of communicating the truth.

WHAT IF...

What if that was what it took to stop the spread of sin?

Let's say, I'll use me for an example, I woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Nothing was going my way. My hair was limp. My skin blemished. My attitude stinking. My tire flat. My jeans too tight for comfort.

You and I both know days like that happen. It's on days like that I am more tempted to sin than others.

To say things I shouldn't. In anger. In weariness. In fear.

To drive faster than I should.

To take on an attitude that is much, much less than Christ-like.

To eat what I shouldn't. And probably a lot of it.

To react in ways I shouldn't. And have many apologies to make at a later time.

To act in less than godly ways.

To sin. Yes, sin is when we do something against the will and way of God.

So would it help those around me if I were, on those kinds of days, to walk around shouting, 'Unclean! Unclean!'?

Would the weaker Christians know not to be around me for I would surely not be a good example?

Would the stronger Christians know not to get too close less I drag them down into my pit of pity?

Would the not-yet-Christians know to stay away long enough for the Lord and I to work out the problem of the day and get my heart and head back on the right path?

Really? Would it help the sin problem?