World AIDS Day 2007

Fifteen years ago I became an AIDS care team member. Our patient was dying and most of us were venturing into a new territory. Needless to say, we were apprehensive. After participating in training provided by the Christian Action Council, we met Randy. His partner and a small community of friends were trying to meet his needs. However, resources were limited and his family had abandoned him. Not everyone felt this was what we needed to be doing, but the scriptures reminded us that Jesus broke through all the stigmas of his day and his culture. He touched, he walked with, he prayed with, he ate with, and he entered the homes of those who were stigmatized. Jesus tells us to do the same. The message to be delivered then and now is be not afraid, be not ashamed. There is nothing that separates us from God’s love and God’s acceptance. I know we did the right thing by being a friend to Randy and others. I remember them today, but realize that I have become one of those the news media identifies as complacent. The 40 million HIV/AIDS patients have just become numbers and I trust the humanitarian and medical communities to deal with this on-going crisis. The 6,000 children who each day lose a parent to AIDS need my attention, also. Forgive me, O God, for forgetting to care.