World AIDS Day is December 1

November - December 2008

 

Late at night Linda lies awake, worried by a recent diagnosis. Guilt, shame and a broken heart are keeping her up. The diagnosis: her child is HIV-positive, and Linda gave it to her.

World AIDS Day is December 1Linda didn’t know she was HIV-positive; it was a parting gift from a wayward husband. She didn’t know she was at risk for HIV/AIDS or that over 1 million people living in the United States are HIV-positive. She had only been with her husband. She did not take drugs. She didn’t know that a simple test could have prevented the transmission to her baby — antiretroviral drugs given to the mother during pregnancy and to the child after birth, as well as C-section deliveries dramatically reduce the risk of mother-to-child transmission.

Scared, alone and ashamed, Linda needs someone to talk to. She can’t even think of bringing this to her pastor or her friends from the congregation — the people who were there for her when she went through her divorce. She well remembers her pastor’s moral outrage when he read about the ABCs of AIDS prevention in an ELCA publication.

Stigma and discrimination make it difficult to discuss HIV/AIDS, especially in the Church, because it intersects with highly charged issues — sexuality, class and race — hot topics even in the secular world.

What can a congregation do to eradicate this stigma and discrimination? As people of faith who know that God loves everyone and welcomes all into the community of believers, a congregation can open the discussion, educate and comfort.

December 1 is World AIDS Day, the day individuals worldwide bring attention to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. On the Sunday before or after World AIDS Day congregations could address HIV/AIDS in the worship service. This can be as simple as observing a moment of silence or praying for those impacted by HIV/AIDS, or something as elaborate as scheduling a service of healing. The ELCA HIV/AIDS Web page has a number of ideas for congregations.

With so many people in the United States living with HIV it is important to respond with the love of Christ to those affected in local communities and congregations. 

Resources

  • Talking Together as Christians about Tough Social Issues
    free online or from Augsburg Fortress, $3.25 plus postage, 800/328-4648.
  • Exploring Solutions: How to Talk about HIV Prevention in the Church
    a downloadable resource from the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance. 
  • Keep the Promise: Advent in a Time of AIDS
    a devotional calendar available online in English, Spanish, and French.