Advent and AIDS

Every year I talk and write about how much I love this time of year. The holiday season is one love, joy, peace, and HOPE. This week is the first week of advent--the week of HOPE. How appropriate that today December first is World AIDS day? A day that is set aside to remember the victims of this awful disease falls in the very week of advent in which we remember the Hope or Expectation of the healer!

This terrible disease is currently ravaging the immune systems of approximately 33.4 million people* around the world. 2/3* of these victims living with HIV are residents of Sub-Saharan Africa. And, an estimated 14 million children* have been orphaned due to AIDS.

But, this is the season and the time to remember that we have an expected healer. One who made Himself frail and fragile, so that He could be our Emmanuel. Christ took on the lowliest form of a baby, and made Himself human so He could be our brother. We celebrate this season that time in History. The time when Christ became God with us, stepped into humanity and linked his arms and heart with ours. He was and still is the expected messiah, the redeemer of the nations... the HEALER of the WORLD!

Today and this week of advent, if you are not able to do anything else for our brothers and sisters who are stricken with HIV/AIDS, pray for them! Pray that, during this season of advent, God would restore hope to all who are fighting HIV/AIDS every day. Pray that He would heal their bodies and their hearts. Pray that He would be their Emmanuel, that He would let them know they are not alone.

And, finally pray for yourself, pray that God would show you what you can be doing to help those in need around you, but especially those in need of the healer!

*All statistics courtesy of World Vision click the link to find out how you can become and advocate for those suffering from AIDS.