Lion Lamb Blog -- David Mundy: Advent 1 & World AIDS Day

A week or so ago I thought about the AIDS Memorial Quilt, and I'm not sure why, but here we are on World AIDS Day. I went looking and discovered that the first cross-Canada tour of this quilt honouring those who had died of HIV/AIDS was in 1989 and stopped in major regional cities. It came to Sudbury, our home at the time, a year or two later. It was at city hall, a stone's throw from St. Andrew's UC, the downtown congregation I served. I encouraged folk to visit it and I did so a couple of times. The squares were loving memorials to those who had died of AIDS which at first was described as the "gay plague" because initially it was most prevalent amongst gay and bisexual men. There was a stigma about HIV/AIDS and religious groups often led the way in condemnation, some calling it God's judgement. The quilt was moving because the loss and love were so evident. These were cherished human beings, brothers and sons and nephews.

I've written about being asked to join the newly formed AIDS Committee of Sudbury, shortly after arriving at St. A's in 1988 by a member of the congregation. Tom Reid gathered various people from social agencies and medical institutions, but he wanted to include a Protestant minister and a Roman Catholic priest. We met at St. Andrew's initially and I had my introduction to the curious politicization of a pressing issue, what I came to call "peeing on trees" because representatives were inclined to mark their territory. They did work together, nonetheless and brought about meaningful change.

I was too bewildered to have any territory of my own, even though we were gathered on my turf. As I've admitted before, I wasn't really sure if I should be there, but I learned. I had three roles beyond being educated beyond prejudices.

I visited AIDS patients in hospital, I presided at funerals and memorials for those who were sometimes rejected in their congregations or families, and I helped others get a perspective on pastoral support. Some of those who were suffering wanted the comfort of prayer and scripture and those who were faithfully attending to their other needs didn't want to be involved in any religious stuff. There were regular seminars for caregivers and I would participate and gently remind participants that this wasn't about them and their convictions. If they were asked to read a novel to their loved one they would probably do so without hesitation, so why not a passage from the bible?

I hope that I did some good along the way but in many respects this involvement brought about important changes in my outlook, not unlike what unfolded during my summer chaplaincy internship at Kingston Penitentiary and involvement in meal ministries in several congregations. In each situation I was a child of God alongside other children of God, loved and redeemed in Christ. That was all that really mattered.

AIDS is no longer the death sentence it once was because of the development of antiviral drugs yet I heard this morning that the number of cases in Canada is on the rise. We can be vigilant in overcoming our prejudices and asking how we can be of support, including in prayer.

We've managed to find our AIDS Day beaded pins to wear to worship today. This is the first Sunday of Advent in 2024 and there are worship resources combining Advent 1 and World AIDS Day awareness. Here is a litany from those materials: