In the Gulf South, this time of year begins its own special season. From Galveston, Texas, to Pensacola, Florida, this is Mardi Gras season, the stretch of weeks from Twelfth Night leading up to “Fat Tuesday.” There are krewes on parade each weekend, balls and parties, and of course king cake. Having lived in the Gulf South for ten years, this time always reminds me of the precious gift of community life. All the goodness of Mardi Gras season—all the joy, festivity, and merriment—takes place in community, and reflects the pride and identity of each city. At its heart, this season celebrates community and reflects
the gift of community. Mardi Gras does not make sense alone, there is no such thing as a private parade or a personal-sized king cake. People gather and celebrate together.
This lens of community also helps us enter into the story of Jesus healing the man with leprosy. After the miraculous healing, Jesus sends the man to show himself to the local priests, but otherwise to keep quiet. But the Gospel tells us that the story gets out and draws great crowds around Jesus. Rather than a communication breach, we might see this as hidden wisdom in this story. Perhaps their sense of Jesus is incomplete, but the crowd gathers, listening and hoping for healing and wholeness in their own lives. Here, too, we see people gathering, and we might imagine the power and gift in that. To sit
with one’s neighbors and recognize that we are all yearning for wholeness is powerful grounds for growing into community.
