HIV/AIDS

A Prayer from Uganda

Leader Before the fear of HIV/AIDS we ask for the courage of love,
that compassion may triumph over hysteria,
reason over hatred, joy over despair.
All We ask for courage.
Leader In the presence of HIV/AIDS
we ask for perseverance in love,
that the bonds of kinship and friendship,
the bonds of humanity, may prove
strong and true.
All We ask for perseverance.
Leader In the reality of HIV/AIDS
we ask for healing,
the healing of the body and the spirit,
the healing of a blighted future.
All We ask for healing.
Leader In the extremity of HIV/AIDS
we give thanks for those whose lives speak love,
whose acts dispel prejudice,
whose joy overcomes fear,
All We give thanks.

A Prayer for Holistic Healing

Creator God, in this HIV/AIDS era, the harvest is plentiful and the labourers are few.
We thank you for the few labourers that are carrying heavy burdens.
Renew their strength and energy to serve.
Here, then are your people, more servants.
They have heard you calling, “whom shall I send, who shall go for me?”
They have heard you say “Who shall undertake HIV/AIDS prevention and provision of care to the sick for me?”
They have heard you say, “The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few.”
They have come forward to you.
They are saying, “Here we are, send us Lord.” We dedicate them to you and your care.
Creator God, take their (our) hands and feet.
Send them (us) to every home and corner where they (we) are needed.
Take their (our) hearts and minds and fill them with compassionate energy.
Take their (our) eyes and ears and help them to see pain and hear the cries of all who suffer.
Anoint them (us) now and fill them (us) with your Holy Spirit, your Spirit of power and fire.
We thank you that you have already heard our prayers. Amen.
(The leader gives a symbol - it could be a red ribbon - to each person

A Commissioning

Go with the God of compassion. Go with Immanuel, the God With Us. Go with the Comforter, the Spirit of power and fire. Go forth to liberate creation from oppression. Go forth to heal and comfort God’s people. Amen.

A Prayer to be said as a candle of hope is lit
(This can be said by all or by three representatives of the congregation)

Lord God, on World AIDS Day: We repent of our denial, complacency and failure towards the HIV/AIDS epidemic. We commit ourselves afresh
to communicating God’s grace to the world; to ministering, responding to and identifying with those in need. We give up our feelings of self–righteousness, our judgmental attitudes,
our faulty beliefs about HIV and AIDS and the people who live with the virus.
Open our hearts to change and receive forgiveness.
Give enabling power to those who will bring change
to individuals, families, institutions, communities, nations and the world. Enable us to promote positive examples of righteous, safe and healthy living
in our cultural, social, sexual, reproductive, political and spiritual lives.
Strengthen our families, communities, and nations
by removing neglect, conflict and individualism.
As we light this candle as a sign of our re-dedication to HIV/AIDS work
help us to listen, to learn and to live.
In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
HYMNS (all numbers from CH4 – some may

The prayers are from

Africa Praying – A Handbook on HIV/AIDS Sensitive Sermon Guidelines and Liturgy - edited by Musa Dube and published for the All Africa Conference of Churches by the World Council of Churches
www.wcc-coe.org/wcc/what/mission/ehaia-pdf/africa-praying-eng.pdf

They were reproduced in the Church of Scotland’s BECOMING HIV POSITIVE booklet –a resource for World AIDS Day 2005. Available to download (.pdf or Word formats):
www.churchofscotland.org.uk/boards/worldmission/wmhivresources.htm#positive
or as hard copy (£2.50) from Nigel Pounde, HIV/AIDS Project Co-ordinator, 121 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 4YN (0131 225 5722 or hivaids@cofscotland.org.uk).

Christian Aid resource Acts of Faith

Bangladesh’s HIV-infection rate is currently less than one per cent. However, there are many vulnerable groups, particularly injecting drug-users. In central Bangladesh, including Dhaka, the infection rate is four per cent, while in the heart of the capital it is as high as nine per cent. HIV could potentially spread to the wider community, both through drug use and sex work. High unemployment means that a large number of people are travelling to other countries in search of employment. Women are trafficked across all the country’s borders.

The Christian Commission for Development in Bangladesh (CCDB), a Christian Aid partner organisation, works with the poorest communities, ethnic minorities and women, and includes HIV-awareness activities in all its programmes. It has close links with Ashar Alo, another Christian Aid partner, a care and support group for people living with HIV, which is run by HIVpositive people themselves.

‘We need to take advantage of this window of opportunity before HIV becomes visible: we mustn’t wait for high visibility.’ Dr A Z M Sahidur Rahman, advocacy adviser, UNAIDS, Dhaka

For reflection

The believers, men
And women, are protectors,
One of another: they enjoin
What is just, and forbid
What is evil: they observe
Regular prayers, practise
Regular charity, and obey
Allah and His Messenger.
On them will Allah pour
His Mercy: for Allah
Is exalted in power, Wise.

The Holy Koran, from Sürah 9

‘How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help? Little children, let us love, not in word or speech but in truth and action.’
1 John 3:18-19, NRSV

‘When you talk to people it’s very rewarding to be able to help them. When I share my experiences I feel encouraged and confident, and this gives me the inner strength to live longer. Although one day I’ll have to give up, I feel I can contribute something to enable other people to live happily like me.’
Mohammed Ali, 35, a peer counsellor with Ashar Alo

An imam’s view

Adul Kalam Azad is an imam in Dhaka. He is a programme director for national television and a well-known TV personality. He uses his weekly primetime TV appearances to address the issue of HIV awareness and to promote interfaith working.

‘We Muslims have a moral duty to offer care for positive people, as well as prevention work. Previously, religious leaders had a hostile attitude to people with HIV. Positive people were seen as sinful, guilty people who had to be avoided. But we have made them understand that we have a religious obligation to treat sick people and to ensure that HIV is not spread further.

‘It’s important that faith leaders should be involved because in our country people are very religious mentally, if not in practice. People pay attention to anything said in the name of religion, whether this is Muslim, Hindu or Christian. There are 200,000 mosques in Bangladesh and every village has at least one. On Fridays the mosques are overflowing, even if people don’t practise their religion at other times. If the imam says only a few words about HIV it’s taken as a message from God.

‘Because of the television programme, people understand that I’m not compromising Muslim beliefs when I talk to leaders of the other faiths. But otherwise there are mixed attitudes to such dialogue. Most people are uneducated and lack understanding, so information about what we are doing is vital.

‘Interfaith dialogue is important because if we can say something united this carries more weight. And we need to sit together to overcome misunderstandings, to bring people together all over the world. Then the word “fundamentalism” would disappear. All religions have fundamentalists, so dialogue that brings us together is very necessary. Please pray for me.’

‘ Acts of Faith’
- Christian Aid resource comprising reflections and stories from Hong Kong, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Burma and India, with an outline order of service. Available to download:
- http://www.christian-aid.org.uk/worship/actsoffaith/index.htm