The church and AIDS

To be honest, as I re-enter the North American evangelical scene, I am not sure what I think or feel about this article, titled, “Jesus has Aids.”   Russell Moore challenges the evangelical church to show the same compassion Jesus would have shown to those sufferering from AIDS. Thanks Charlie for the heads up on this.  If you read Mtt 25, John 9, Mark 2–really all of the gospels, I think Russell is spot on.

Jesus has identified himself with the suffering of this world, an identification that continues on through his church.

Am I one who has missed Jesus in those suffering from AIDS?  I don’t even know anyone in this situation (as far as I know)!  Based upon my own inner reactions, I suspect that the church is not a safe place for AIDS sufferers.  But, clearly, it should be. And that would be a reflection of a deep spirituality. Ouch! Moore concludes his article:

Jesus loves the world, and the world has AIDS. Jesus identifies himself with the least of these, and many of them have AIDS. Jesus calls us to recognize him in the depths of suffering, and there’s AIDS there too.

Jesus has AIDS.