As you know, we as believers have Christian responsibilities for others. The greatest responsibility we have is to love one another. Rolled into the instruction for love is the responsibility to care for homeless, widows and orphans. I drove by some homeless shelters today and visited one that cared for those with addictions. Because of their addictions and related lifestyles, there are some who have contracted hiv+ / aids. It got me thinking....
Supposing I went to a church in your area of town and I invited one of these patients to come to your church with me. Would we be welcome? I don't know. Now suppose God really blessed my efforts to reach out and care for people with HIV+/Aids and five aids patients desired to go to church with me. Would we be welcome? How about 20? Do you get the point?
How many people with this virus would be welcome in your local church? I know there would be some churches that probably would post a sign, "No contagious diseases allowed". Others might let one in if you kept a low profile and no one knew. But I think it would be a very unique church that would love the Aids victim with the love Jesus talked of.
The thought of loving the "untouchable" is very troublesome for me. It is tough enough to love someone I don't like. To love someone with the risk of contracting some incurable disease is hard for me to get my mind wrapped around. It seems the richness of our Christian life is in many ways negated by the conditional faith we exercise.
So again, how many HIV+/Aids people can I visit your church with?
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