Preached by Emily Davila, EW Chair, on the anniversary of World AIDS Day Advent Lutheran Church, New York City
I woke up this morning on World AIDS Day with many emails in my inbox from around the world. World AIDS Day (WAD) is a time of social networks, and we celebrate it in many ways – we post liturgy on websites, email, worship, remember, give money, wear ribbons. Today is the day that we do these things all at once, all over the world. By sitting here in these pews we are part of a chain of reflection and action.
AIDS is with us in the US, but from my work at the Lutheran Office for World Community, an office representing the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and Lutheran World Federation (LWF) at the United Nations, I have seen the immense and tragic effects of AIDS’s in countries that are poorer than ours. Having traveled to far off places, like the shepherds sent on a mission that winter night, I feel I must tell you what I have seen, that among suffering I have felt awe. This witness is what I am going to talk about today.