Today I read a sermon article titled, "Breaking the Silence" from a magazine called, "Crossing the Road", a resource magazine published in 2009 by Methodist Church in New Zealand.
The article talks about one pastor named Mary Crockett in South Africa who works in Qwa Qwa where she is known as the HIV and AIDS pastor. She moves around 11 churches preaching her message every Sunday, talking openly about a subject that is still largely taboo. She talks about promiscuity among the young and hypocrisy among the married; about people who gossip, judge and reject those who are sick, rather than helping them. Most of all there is silence, and silence breeds fear, says Pastor Mary. "What can we do to stop this disease that kills in silence?" she asks. Mary shouts. Mary gets angry. Mary weeps! Mary is HIV positive, infected by her husband who set out to kill himself, his HIV positive daughter and Mary in a motor 'accident'.
When I read Mary's story, I thought of many millions of people in the world who are living and dying with HIV and AIDS right now, many of them being stigmatized and rejected by their very own people!. Those millions of AIDS orphans with no parents to love them, to feed them when they are hungry, to embrace them when they are cold, to wipe their tears away when they cry! To be sick with the world's deadliest disease is cruel enough, but to add on to their suffering these same people are marginalised, condemned, discriminated and rejected by their own people! Many HIV infected people are from the poorest of the poor, having no means of accessing ART or any other treatment, just suffering their pain in silence, guilt and hopeless resignation.
The horror and enormity of human suffering from HIV and AIDS was made so devastatingly clear for a moment, and it overwhelmed me, and I could almost see those emaciated children with their sunken eyes desperately looking out for any sign of hope...I felt so helpless and inadequate,I just sat down and cried,
"Father...."
"Father...."
I could not utter any more words....there was nothing else to say! My heart was crying out and long so much for a Man called "JESUS OF NAZARETH"!
"Lord, the world You love is sick!"
I know it would have broken His heart too!
"Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died!"
"Lord, if you had been here, my parents would not have died!"
"Lord, if you had been here, I would not have been rejected and shamed!
Did I hear the Master saying,
"Where is My church?"
"Where are my servants? What have they been doing to these 'least of my brothers'"?
Then I thought of all other 'rejects' of the society: prostitutes, drug addicts, drunkards, homosexuals....I imagined them coming together before JESUS, 'Friend of sinners and tax-collectors', and I 'saw' how He embraced them with so much overflowing love that all their sins were covered to be seen no more!
"Lord, why did You do that?"
"Because I love them as much as I loved you!"
"But LORD, these people are not ordinary sinners, they are REAL sinners!"
"My son, My love is UNCONDITIONAL!
Then the Lord smiled and stretch out His hands to me. With tears running down my cheeks, I ran to HIM and joined the group within His embrace.
amen!
ReplyDeleteHow do you define a Sinner? Is it the Child who contracts AIDs, not for its own, but for the fault of the parents? Is it the Prostitute trafficked into a foreign land, forced into the trade, lest her family be harmed? Is it the man who stays outside his hometown, who barely attends Church for lack of money cos' he sends his all back home to support the family he loves? Or is it the businessman who tricks and frauds his own people, while he donates 'generously' to the Church? Or the politician whom everyone knows is corrupt, but none daring to say a word against him because of his influence? Who is a Sinner, really?
ReplyDelete@blackestred, I believe we all are sinners, and there are no greater or lesser sinners before God. Some of us may look down on certain groups of people, but the reality is that we are no different. We all need a Saviour, Jesus the Christ!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment.
If a poor sinner like me has tiny and feeble faith, His loving grace, at any rate, is powerful and ultimate.
ReplyDeleteAmen, @chawnghilh!
ReplyDeleteHi doc, I love this post of yours. Do you also think the churches in Mizoram should get themselves more engaged in the prevention of HIV transmission, and in the CARE and SUPPORT of people living with HIV/AIDS.
ReplyDeleteI fail to understand why the downs and outs of society (especially people living with HIV/AIDS) should still be stigmatised and isolated in the most Christianised place on earth.
People living with HIV/AIDS need our understanding, love, care and support more than anything else.
Zairemthiama, you are absolutely right! I believe the Church in fact has all the answers these HIV/AIDS affected people need. The Church has the message of hope, healing, love, acceptance, life abundant, and many more. In short, the Church has Jesus Christ, who is the ultimate Answer. I believe the churches in Mizoram need to do more for these 'least of Jesus' brothers'.
ReplyDeleteI also believe that caring and loving people affected by HIV and AIDS is a NEW MISSION FIELD to which the Church is called to engage itself in.