African – Emergency

This is from one of our missionaries serving in Swaziland, Dennis Brock.

The following is a portion from a note posted online by Bono concerning HIV/AIDS in Africa and of the launch of product (Red).  A portion of all product red purchases will go to fight HIV/AIDS in Africa. 

“Sometimes when I’m walking down the street a passer by will say “love your work on Africa, Bono, great cause.” Sometimes, they wish they hadn’t. As I’m Irish, I love to talk to strangers. I love to talk about Africa. It can be hard to get away… Each time it makes me think we need to do much more to get the message across that this is not a “cause,” this pandemic that we and so many others are working on. 5,500 Africans dying a day of AIDS, a preventable, treatable disease is not a cause. 5,500 Africans dying each day is an emergency.”   – – Bono

To me (Dennis), this puts it all in perspective.  5,500 people dying a day from HIV/AIDS in Africa.  This is a dire emergency!  If you are part of the church, the Body of Christ, this is our opportunity to shine.  It is time for the Church worldwide, I would say specifically the West though, to step up our involvement in the fight against HIV/AIDS.  As ambassadors of Christ it is our perrogative, and responsibility I believe, to hold out to this dying world the hope of Jesus Christ.  We must be involved in the compassionate works of Jesus – tangible, physical, relief efforts.  While at the same time we must always be proclaiming the only erternal hope…the free gift of salvation, eternal life through Jesus Christ.  To me proclaiming the good news and showing Jesus’ compassion in a physical way are linked.  They always go together.  We get into problems when we focus on one and forget the other.   

As Christ’s ambassadors, the representation of Jesus on this earth, we will be judged for how we respond or choose not to respond to this catastrophy.  I encourage everyone to get involved in some way.  Respond in Jesus’ love – hold out the Only Hope for eternity and physically love your neighbor.          

If you would like to read the entire article just cut and paste the followingb link into your browser: 
http://www.joinred.com/notes.asp