Get up off Your Knees

God the Holy Spirit has used prophets, biblical and contemporary, to separate people from the lies and illusions to which they've become accustomed... prophets train us in discerning the difference between the ways of the world and the ways of the Gospel, keeping us present to the presence of God.

Prophetic voices that challenge the people of God to live 'in accordance to scriptures,' scriptures that are especially vocal about care for the poor, the suffering, and the disreputable have never received cordial treatment from people who use religion to cocoon themselves from reality.

-Eugene Peterson, Author of The Message Bible

Two thousand years ago, the scribes and Pharisees decreed that those suffering from leprosy were cursed by God. They were run out, shut away from the world… they were seen as sinners unredeemable and untouchable.

Jesus, The Light of the World, came down in the midst of this blind hatred and did the opposite. He reached out and touched lepers. He healed them, blessed them, and restored them. He was not afraid of their ailment. He was not afraid of the social rules that prevented touching these lost souls. He went to those in need and he touched them.

For twenty-five years the church has shunned victims of AIDS/HIV. They have labeled them as sinners that were unredeemable and untouchable. Some more conservative pastors have called AIDS God’s wraith on a certain group of people.

Oh, how history repeats itself.

Today—in the next twenty-four hours—5,500 Africans will die of AIDS. Today in childbirth 1,400 African mothers will pass HIV to their newborns. If this isn’t an emergency, what is? In the Scriptures we are not advised to love our neighbors, 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 even.

But, I tell you, God is not looking for alms; God is looking for action. He is not looking for our loose change—He’s looking for a tighter contract with our neighbor.

I should be preaching to the converted here. There are 2,300 verses in Scripture pertaining to the poor. History will judge us on how we deal with this crisis. God will judge us even harder.

-Bono at Creation East

Be the change!