Planning World AIDS Day Service

I’ve been working on the Order of Service for this year’s World AIDS Day which we’ll be holding here on Monday night (though World AIDS Day actually falls on Sunday 1st December). I’d booked some people six months ago to participate in the Service, but a couple have let me down. They were very happy when I asked them, but they’ve suddenly had things crop up that prevent them from taking part. Fortunately I found people who are prepared to participate. This year’s service is different from the one’s I’ve organised previously, all of which follwed much the same format. I felt it was time for a change and have altered not only some of the wording of prayers but have also introduced a new style of praying the prayers, as well as included a couple of new hymns. The two main features remain unchanged: the unfolding of two large squares of the AIDS Quilt, and the anointing of people on the forehead with fragrant oil.

Each year I endeavour to enlist the help of people from various sectors of the community: ministers of religion, health professions, funeral directors, palliative care workers, and members of the general community. One group of people who give me problems each year is the doctors. I don’t know why, but they always have excuses. This year I tried I don’t know how many doctors to lead one of the prayers before I eventually gave up. I then called the director or nursing at one of the local hospitals and was told, “Sure, we’ll arrange for one of our nurses to take part.” The next day I received a call to tell me they had a representative and was given her name so I could inculde it on the Order of Service booklet.

I’ve also had trouble with the some of the clergy. I haven’t even tried the more evangelical Protestant denominations as they would only want to lecture about homosexuality being evil (which it isn’t). They forget that AIDS is not a “gay disease” and that people of all sexes, ages, sexualities, and walks of life have the disease. So I limit myself to the mainstream churches. I tried one minister this year and was told, “I’ll have to think about this. You see I don’t know where I stand on things like the war on Iraq, and AIDS, and these other issues, so I need to talk them over with others.” I felt like saying to him “You’re a Christian, for God’s sake! What is there to work out? Jesus was against war. Jesus wanted people to be well. Go and read your bible!” I’m still waiting for him to inform me as to whether he’ll be participating in the Service on Monday night.

This year’s theme for World AIDS Day revolves around the stigma and discrimination inflicted on people with HIV/AIDS. I think the people at the UNited Nations who organise this global event annually should set aside one year to work on the two profession who are supposed to be concerned with people’s wholeness and wellness: doctors and clergy. The parable of the Good Samaritan comes to mind.