Living with HIV - Rev Christo Greyling

What churches should
know about living with
HIV
Rev Christo Greyling
World Vision and INERELA+
Micah conference
Pattaya, Thayland, 2008
December 1999
Risk of HIV transmission
Risk relative to HIV viral load
1/25 – 1/1,000
Viral load
100 000
1/50 – 1/1,000
1/100 – 1/1,000
10 000
1/1000 – 1/10,000
1000
Viral load
100
8 to 10 years
3 Weeks
Sero conversion
Acute infection
Asymptomatic
Infection
HIV Progression
Falling CD4 count
AIDS
Disease Stage
Source: Galvin, S.R. & Cohen, M.S. (2004) The role of sexually transmitted diseases in HIV infection. Nature Reviews Microbiology, 2(1)
Risk of HIV transmission
Risk relative to HIV viral load
1/25 – 1/1,000
Viral load
100 000
1/50 – 1/1,000
1/100 – 1/1,000
10 000
1/1000 – 1/10,000
1000
100
Viral load
8 to 10 years
3 Weeks
Sero conversion
Acute infection
<1/25,000
Asymptomatic
Infection
HIV Progression
Falling CD4 count
10, 20 & >
AIDS
ART
Disease Stage
Slide (S2.2) 24a
Source: Galvin, S.R. & Cohen, M.S. (2004) The role of sexually transmitted diseases in HIV infection. Nature Reviews
Microbiology, 2(1)
Anika and Mia – Symbols of Hope
Chinese saying
If you have a vision for a year,
plant wheat;
if you have a vision for 10 years,
plant a tree;
if you have a vision for life –
have children!
Colossians 3
2Set
your minds on things above, not on earthly
things.….
5Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to
your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity,
lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.
6Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.
HIV and AIDS – A Christian Response
Prevalence of HIV/AIDS Stigma Among
Children (10-17 years)
Not help bath HIV+
Not buy goods from HIV+
Not shake hands with HIV+
Keep family member's HIV+ secret
41
63
68
64
72
58
55
51
64
64
64
61
HIV+ Preacher shouldn‘t preach
HIV+ teacher shouldn‘t teach
HIV+ do not require compassion
42
29
Agree HIV punishment
62
40
0
20
Uganda (n=650)
Zambia (n=379)
40
60
Percentage
Source: World Vision International operations research project, Zambia & Uganda, 2006
80
100
Prevalence of HIV/AIDS Stigma Among
FBO Leaders
6
Not help bath HIV+
Not buy goods from HIV+
3
Not shake hands with HIV+
13
12
31
12
Keep family member's HIV+ secret
38
49
25
29
24
22
17
32
HIV+ Preacher shouldn‘t preach
HIV+ teacher shouldn‘t teach
HIV+ do not require compassion
Agree HIV punishment
84
65
0
20
Persentage
40
60
80
100
Uganda (n=46)
Zambia (n-200)
Source: World Vision International operations research project, Zambia & Uganda, 2006
“I would tell my congregation
almost every Sunday…Those
with HIV must repent. You will
come back to the church when
your legs are as thin as the pole
holding up this tent and ask for
forgiveness… and I will be ready
to conduct your funerals.”
Pastor Thomas Lebiletsa,
Lesotho
Broken people saved by grace
• Rom 3:23-24: There is no difference, for all have
sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are
justified freely by his grace through the
redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
• Eph 2: 8-9: For it is by grace you have been
saved, through faith - and this not from
yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so
that no one can boast.
Amazing Grace
How sweet the sound
that saved a wretch like me!
Listen to God speak
How is God?
– Luk 15: Pharisees and the teachers of the law
muttered, ―This man welcomes sinners and eats
with them‖
– Jesus tells 3 parables
• The Parable of the Lost Sheep
• The Parable of the Lost Coin
• The Parable of the Lost Son
HIV and AIDS – A Christian Response
Listen to God speak
How is God?
– Leave everything
– Rejoice when found
– Bring best robe, ring for finger,
Slaughter fattened calf
– Who is the true lost son?
• “…you are always with me, and everything I
have is yours.”
HIV and AIDS – A Christian Response
Christians living with HIV should not
only be tolerated within the Church,
they should be celebrated
Guiding principles
for a Christian response to HIV and AIDS
Live as the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12)
Be ambassadors of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20)
Speak the truth in love (Eph 4: 15)
Find wisdom from heaven (James 3:17)
Accept as Christ accepted (Romans 15:7)
Be compelled by the love of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:14)
We have a living hope (1 Peter 1:3)
Help people in practical ways (James 1:27, Matt 25:31-46)
Uphold the value and dignity of all human beings (Gen
1:27)
Bishop Mark Hanson from Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America
“I realized“After
I hated
people
with
going
through
HIV and Ithe
knew
that those
training,
I waswho
the
were suffering
because
one who
had toof the
pandemicrepent.”
could never come to
me for support even though I
am a pastor… unless my
attitude changed,”
James 2:10, 11
―For however keeps the whole law and
yet stumbles at just one point is guilty
of breaking all of it. For He who said,
‗Do not commit adultery‘ also said
‗Do not murder.‘ If you do not commit
adultery but do commit murder you
have become a law-breaker‖
Source: Gideon Biyamugisha
Not merely by the words you say,
Not only in your deeds confessed
But in the most unconscious way
Is Christ expressed.
Is it a beatific smile?
A holy light upon your brow?
Oh, no—I felt His presence while
You laughed just now.
For me 'twas not the truth you taught,
To you so clear, to me still dim,
But when you came to me you brought
A sense of Him.
And from your eyes He beckons me
And from your heart His love is shed,
Till I lose sight of you, and see
The Christ instead.
By Beatrice Cleland
Thank you!