The Lord’s Day
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| It is not enough to process, we have to practice. It is not enough to talk, we have to do. It is not enough to promise, we have to embody the promise. It is not enough to say, ‘ain’t it awful.’ We have to get close enough to get hurt.” George Dewey Carter, Jr., former director, Field Education, Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary.
In the United States, one million people are infected with HIV/AIDS, and worldwide this number is at forty million. One of these people is my friend, Reggie, a vivacious 14-year-old who loves basketball, swimming, and participating in his church youth group. When I met Reggie five years ago, he greeted me warmly with a smile and handshake and then proceeded to make a perfect cannonball splash in the swimming pool nearby. As our friendship developed, I learned that Reggie was born four months prematurely, cocaine addicted and infected with HIV. At birth, Reggie’s doctors gave him less than a year to live, but with an indomitable spirit Reggie survived—only to be shunned by his school peers and shamed by adults for being HIV-positive. Consequently, Reggie developed frequent nightmares. I struggled to find meaning in a situation that left me overwhelmed with sadness and with little to say but “ain’t it awful.” Not knowing how to help, but not wanting to give up, I resolved that I must “get close enough to get hurt” by offering Reggie my ear, my compassion, and my loving acceptance. By exercising a ministry of presence toward one another, we each became better listeners, friends, and agents of Christ’s love. In the field of HIV/AIDS, getting close enough to get hurt means going beyond percentages to see people and beyond facts to see faces. HIV/AIDS is not merely about statistics: it is about people living in our communities called mom, dad, husband, wife, son, daughter, friend, neighbor, pastor, deacon, elder, and beloved child of God. With millions infected, there is clearly much to do in HIV/AIDS health care, education, prevention, and awareness. Yet, for all of our doing, we must never forget the importance of simply being a loving, welcoming, and listening presence for all of God’s children. It is by living out Christ’s presence that we can begin to understand how to serve and stand in solidarity with those living with HIV/AIDS. —Andrew Black, student, Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary and University of Louisville law student |
 Job 1:1, 2:1–10 O God, Our Faithful God PH 277 A Mighty Fortress Is Our God PH 260, HB 91 Ps. 26 PPCS 24 Heb. 1:1–4, 2:5–12 I Danced in the Morning PH 302 Look, Ye Saints, the Sight Is Glorious HB 133 Mark 10:2–16 Jesus Loves Me! PH 304 O Perfect Love PH 533, HB 453 |
 O God, remind us to live our lives close enough to others to get hurt. In Jesus’ name. Amen. |
