Passion

25 million people in Africa now have HIV. 13 million children are orphans because their parents have dies from AIDS - and this figure is expected to double by the end of the decade.

Today - in the next 24 hours - 5,500 Africans will die of AIDS. Today in child birth 1,400 African mothers will pass on HIV to their newborns.

If this isn't an emergency, what is? In the Scriptures we are not advised to love our neighbor, we are commanded. The Church needs to lead the way here, not drag its heels. The government needs guidance. We discuss; we debate; we put our hands in our pockets. We are generous eve.

But, I tell you, God is not looking for alms; God is looking for action. He is not just looking for our loose change - he's looking for a tighter contract between us and our neighbor.

Should we distinguish between those who became victims because of sinful behaviour and those who were innocent victims? I believe that one of the reasons the Christian community has not taken a leading role in the fight against AIDS is this issue of judgement. We distinguish between the "innocent" victims, such as children infected or orphaned by their parents, and the "guilty" such as prostitues and the promiscuous. However, scripture makes it clear who has the right and the responsibility to judge: It is God, not us.

The book of James says, "Be doers fo the word, and not hearers only."

Yet, leading the fight against AIDS is not the Church but the homosexual community, Hollywood, Political liberals, the United Nations, secular humanitarian organizations and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

In 2001, a research group was commissioned to determine the willingness of the Christian community to get involved in fighting the AIDS pandemic. When evangelical Christians were asked whether they would be willing to donate money to help children orphaned by AIDS, only 7% answered that they definitely would. More than half said that they probably or definitely would NOT help. Evangelicals were even less likely to support education efforts to help prevent AIDS. Non-Christians were more inclined to help.

I'm not here to point fingers at evangelicals. My own church, the Catholic Church, hasn't earned any gold stars. Our current Pope skirts around the issue of condoms. The Church, which runs many hospitals in Sub-Saharan Africa opposes the use of condoms except in the rarest of circumstances because they are a form of contraception.

Today, as I sit here I could be denied communion because I handed out condoms and I will continue to do so.

10 years ago I lost my best firend, my husband, the man who showed me the face of God to AIDS. He engaged in pre-marital sex knowing the full wage of his sin. However, this small piece of latex could have saved his life. The argument that promoting condoms to fight the spread of AIDS fosters immoral and hedonistic lifestyles and behaviours seems a bit slippery slope to me.

If people choose to have sex, and many will, access to condoms and education is paramount. The church and Christians can no longer hide their heads in the sand. Ignorance and silence is the most prevasive forms of violence in today's society.

People may not want to listen to what I have to say; however, I'm compelled to speak. Love thy neighbor doesn't stop at the bedroom door. If you choose to have sex, please wear a condom.

Tonight as I sleep, 5,100 people worldwide will become infected with HIV.

35,000 Americans are infected with HIV but don't know it.

Every hour, two young Americans between ages 13 and 24 are infected with HIV.

These are the facts of our world no matter what theology you may or may not subscribe to.