St. Damien of the Leper Colony

A Leper with the Lepers

In 1873, a Belgian priest named Father Damien volunteered to move into a quarantined leper colony on the Hawaiian island of Moloka’i. Upon arriving at the colony, he said to the over 600 residents, “I have come as one who will be a father to you, and who loves you so much that he does not hesitate to become one of you; to live and die with you.”

Damien fully immersed himself in the life of this community. Not only did he care for the spiritual, physical, and emotional needs of the people, but he also organized local leaders to build houses, schools, roads, hospitals, and churches. According to historians, Damien’s presence was a turning point for this isolated colony.

After serving the community for 11 years, Father Damien contracted leprosy. He continued to care for the people on Moloka’i until his death in 1889. During his final years, Damien echoed the Apostle Paul (1 Cor 9:19–23) in a letter to his brother, writing: “I make myself a leper with the lepers to gain all to Jesus Christ.”

Damien was canonized as a saint in 2009 and is recognized as a martyr for the outcast and neglected. His life offers a powerful image of what it looks like to become one with the people you are called to serve. As his biography notes:

“Over the years he had done nothing to separate himself from his people. He dipped his fingers in the poi bowl shared with other patients. He shared his pipe. And he did not wash his hands after bandaging open sores. He had so wanted to relate to his people that he allowed nothing to separate him from them. Father Damien had truly become one of them.”

Incarnational Ministry

Saint Damien's life demonstrates what we call “incarnational ministry.” In Jesus’ incarnation, He put on human flesh and made His home within His creation (Jn 1:14). As The Message translation puts it, Jesus “moved into the neighborhood.” Jesus was not pretending to be human, nor was He simply God with a little humanity added on. Instead the author of Hebrews states that Jesus became “fully human in every way” (Heb 2:17).

While the incarnation of God Himself was a unique event that cannot be replicated, we are called to live in a way that reflects His incarnation. Paul urges us to “have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.” (Phil 2:5–7)

In his book on the incarnation, missiologist Darrell Guder asks: “Should the unique event of the incarnation of Jesus that constitutes and defines the message and mission of the Church have concrete significance for the way in which the Church communicates that message and carries out that mission?” 

According to Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi, the answer is a resounding yes. So, what does it look like for us to assume the posture of the incarnation in our everyday lives?

This is where we look to the story of Saint Damien and others who have radically immersed themselves in the lives of the people they serve. To live incarnationally means that we don’t just go to people—we become one with them. It means inhabiting the world of those to whom we are sent. Their problems become our problems. Their pain becomes our pain. Their passions and longings become our passions and longings.

Though Jesus did not participate in sin, He did nothing to isolate Himself from sinners. This is why religious leaders accused Him of being a glutton and a drunkard (Mt 11:19, Lk 7:34). Jesus aligned Himself fully with the people He served. He was never concerned with protecting His reputation or keeping a safe distance; He simply became one with them. This is the exact posture God calls us to embody.

6 P’s of Incarnational Ministry

Here is a practical framework to help you consider how incarnational ministry might look in your daily life:

1. Proximity

We need to be physically present with the people we are sent to serve. This means prioritizing regular, intentional time with those in our context. If we don’t actively plan for proximity, it won't happen naturally.

2. Presence

Jesus didn’t just come to be near us; He came to be with us. We cannot stop at physical proximity—we need emotional, relational, and spiritual presence. Presence requires asking thoughtful questions, engaging in meaningful conversations, actively listening, and following up.

3. Prevenience

This principle is foundational: a missional person recognizes that before they ever showed up, God was already at work—and long after they leave, God will still be at work. God is constantly moving in people’s hearts; our job is simply to join Him in that work.

4. Powerlessness

To adopt a posture of powerlessness means admitting that we do not have all the answers and that we are not the savior. We have genuine needs, questions, doubts, and struggles, and we shouldn't be afraid to share them. One of the best ways to build an authentic connection is to ask someone for help. Show people that you need them—not just that they need you.

5. ComPassion

The word compassion literally means "to suffer with." Incarnational ministry means caring about what the people in our context care about and choosing to suffer alongside them—much like Father Damien among the lepers. This requires a level of intimacy and vulnerability that can feel uncomfortable, inviting us to carry the burdens and pains of those around us just as Jesus did.

6. Proclamation

Finally, we must share the Good News of Jesus through our words. An incarnational posture may not always begin with proclamation—and it is never only proclamation—but it must always include proclamation. When we live incarnationally, opportunities for meaningful gospel conversations naturally open up.

Reflect:

Which of these 6 P’s is the most challenging for you right now? Where do you tend to get stuck as you seek to "become one" with those around you?