Christian organisations including World Vision, Christian Aid and the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee (CRWRC) are urging Christians to support their work, join in action and pray for the betterment of millions of lives affected by the tragic illness.
CRWRC will kick off its AIDS campaign on World AIDS Day, 1 December, under the same motto, “Keep the Promise”.
The Christian Reformed Church made AIDS a major priority in 2004, with CRWRC AIDS programs integrated into twelve countries (ten of which are in Africa) serving approximately 64,000 participants.
The Church’s “Grow CRWRC” campaign worked hard on expanding the programmes to three more countries – India, Mozambique and Sierra Leone - throughout 2005.
CRWRC is calling on Christians around the world to get involved with the CRWRC Keep the Promise Campaign by wearing a red ribbon on 1 December in support for the fight against HIV/AIDS, praying for relief, a cure and compassion for AIDS sufferers, and volunteer with local community HIV/AIDS programmes.
The Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance is also calling on Christians around the world to take action on December 1 by making a personal promise to fight HIV and AIDS and by finding out what their churches have said about the illness and what they have done to follow up on their statements.
The EAA also asked Christians to write to their political leaders to make sure that they are keeping to commitments they have made for the care and support of HIV and AIDS sufferers, and to lobby them to increase their commitments.
The Rev. Robert J. Vitillo of Caritas Internationalis stressed in the EAA’s “Keep the Promise: Biblical and Theological Reflections”, the importance of promises made by people of faith such as “working for the common good”, “equitable distribution of goods”, and “respect for the dignity of each and every person”.
“In addition to the personal and family-based suffering wrought by HIV and AIDS, this pandemic brings heightened awareness of the wide gap between the promises mentioned above and contemporary life in a time of AIDS,” he said.
“Millions of people lack access to essential medicines, let alone the combination anti-retroviral treatment needed to prolong life among those living with HIV and AIDS.”
Rev Vitillo added that Christians must “put their faith into action” and reminded Christians that “they have an obligation to keep their own promises in helping to build God’s Reign as a place of peace, respect, and justice”.
He said that Christians had the added obligation of “monitoring progress in fulfilment of the world’s leaders to Stop AIDS through adequate funding and action in response to the pandemic”.
World Vision is also calling on Christians to donate to the World Vision’s work among children and families devastated by HIV/AIDS and to also sponsor a child in an AIDS-affected community.
The Christian children’s charity also urged Christians to be a voice for orphans by contacting their representatives, getting involved on their university campuses, and by signing a pledge to educate, advocate and act on HIV/AIDS.
Christian Aid has also provided a free resource for churches to mark World AIDS Day entitled Acts of Faith: Stories from Asia for World AIDS Day.
The resource is a collection of stories and reflections from people of different faiths with a focus on the spread of HIV/AIDS in Asia, what the charity dubs the ‘silent tsunami’. The resource is produced by Christian Aid in association with St Johns Cathedral, Hong Kong.
An estimated 40 million people throughout the world are living with HIV, with 25 million of them living in sub-Saharan Africa. The numbers of people living with HIV in Asia are predicted to double in the next five years.
Maria Mackay
Christian Today Correspondent