Today is Dec. 1, 2008. Two big events take place today.
The anniversary of Rosa Parks taking a stand, by taking a seat on a Montgomery, Alabama bus in 1955, and World AIDS Day.
Two great movements/issues of our day — the civil rights movement and AIDS awareness/treatment/elimination.
I almost hate to compare the two movements (simply because I think they’re both worthy of their own attention and comprehension) but I think both are issues the church should be actively involved in and actively working to make change in. We’ve come a long way in both arenas but there’s still a long way to go as well.
I just started reading “On the Side of Angels” by Dr. Joseph D’Souza and Benedict Rogers. It talks right to this issue.
“Each person facing abuse of their own human rights is a fellow human being of eternal value, created by God in his image. Each one is our neighbor.”
For too long, we’ve delegated titles and stereotypes to people who are different than us. We’ve avoided people because of their different culture, or because of a disease that they might have contracted because of “immoral behavior.” And we’ve ignored the fact that each of us have contracted our own disease of sin that we DID contract because of our own immoral behavior.
Far too long we’ve said that you get what you deserve and you get what’s coming to you.
But as D’Souza and Rogers write, “Unless and until Christian life and witness actually becomes involved in individual lives and society, we cannot authentically carry out kingdom mission in this world.”
So here’s to my creed and the prayer that I live it out both today, and all the days to come ::
rather than seeking revenge, i will seek reconciliation
rather than repaying violence with violence, i will seek creative transforming nonviolent alternatives
rather than focusing on external conformity to moral codes, i will be internally transformed by love
rather than loving insiders and hating outsiders, i will welcome outsiders into a new “us†and “weâ€
rather than anxiety about money or security or pleasure, i will trust myself to the care of God
rather than living for wealth, i will live for God who loves all people, including our enemies
rather than hating our enemies and competitors, i will them and do unto them not as they have done unto me – or before they do unto me – but as i wish they would do for me
And to the mission of Jesus the Christ, the Messiah ::
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
resources ::
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Drug abuse by any route can put a person at risk for getting HIV. This is because drug and alcohol intoxication affect judgment and can lead to unsafe sexual practices, which put people at risk for getting HIV or transmitting it to someone else. NIDA has developed the following resources to help educate, share and increase awareness of the AIDS issue.
NIDA’s Learn the Link Campaign ::
More Resources ::
AIDS.gov
The Federal government has developed a wealth of HIV/AIDS testing, prevention, treatment and research information. In addition, the following are some of the many resources you can use to help response to HIV/AIDS.
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