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In the early eighties, when HIV/AIDS was first diagnosed, a majority of the church leaders around the world preached that this was the result of God’s wrath being unleashed upon the homosexual community.
Pastors and faith leaders gleefully berated the gay community and scornfully sentenced homosexuals to a slow, agonizing, and isolated death. Instead of recognizing the disease as an opportunity to show Christian compassion, churches delighted in demonizing, leperizing, and shunning a whole community of people who needed love, comfort, and acceptance.
But not Metropolitan Community Churches! As a community of faith, around the world, we came together as ONE, caring for our siblings, standing at their sides, holding their hands, praying, loving, caring and becoming that beacon of hope that could be given when there was no one else around, not knowing what was to come.
As we come to this week of Prayer for the Healing of HIV/AIDS, people of different faiths - including Christians - around the world, we pray for those infected with and affected by this horrific disease. Let this be a time to support and continue to love those who are infected with and affected by HIV/AIDS. Let it be a time to seek a cure and a week when we as God’s Children come together to continue showing our love and support to all, regardless of our race, color, or how we define our sexuality. Let this be the road to finding a cure to zero.
So we pray:
God of our weary years and God of our silent tears, we know YOU to be a good and gracious God. Continue to be the God of health and wholeness in each our lives.
As we Your servants - many living our lives with HIV or AIDS - come before You and ask to take this suffering away from all those who are suffering. Restore each and every one of us back to perfect health, while leading us to know of Your powerful healing love through body and spirit.
As mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, children, and friends of those who live daily with HIV/AIDS, continue to help each of us minister in loving care, support, and patience through Your guidance and perseverance.
Forgive those who continue to find prejudices and self-righteousness to those who are infected and affected while helping everyone to see every person as a Child of God, in need of hope love, and care.
Loving God, we ask that you continue to be with the doctors, nurses, researchers, caretakers, and all those who continue to be that guiding source as those continue to search and develop a cure, but work and care for our siblings who are infected and affected.
Lead us, God of Creation, to do whatever it will take to eradicate this illness from the lives of those who are touched by it both directly and indirectly. Trusting in and through You will continue to bring the strength that comes through the love of Your Spirit.
Amen.
Reverend Tory V. Topjian
Senior Pastor
Milwaukee Metropolitan Community Church
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