wfn.org | Commentary: What would Wesley do about global AIDS?

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Oct. 29, 2002  News media contact: Garlinda Burton7(615) 742-54707Nashville,
Tenn.  10-21-28-31-71BP{499}

NOTE: This may be used as a sidebar to UMNS story #498. A photograph is
available.
 
A UMNS Commentary
By the Rev. Donald E. Messer*

Countless Christians ask every day: "What would Jesus do?" 
  
In light of the unprecedented global HIV/AIDS pandemic that the United
Nations has declared "a global emergency," United Methodists might ask not
only "what would Jesus do?" but also "what would John Wesley do?"

Of course, it is impossible to prescribe or describe what the founder of
Methodism would do in the face of the worst health crisis in 700 years, but
we can draw some insightful clues from his practical theology and his
practice of ministry in relation to issues of medicine, health, illness,
suffering and death.
		
Despite the plea of the United Nations for "faith-based" organizations to
get deeply involved, to date, the efforts of Christian congregations and
denominations-with few exceptions--have been minimal. More than 20 years
into the global pandemic, only a few have even allocated a miniscule portion
of funds to a mission and ministry of healing directed at the global
HIV/AIDS crisis. 

Worse yet, in many places and times, people of faith contribute to the
stigma and discrimination that adds to the suffering, encouraging greater
silence, and, therefore, furthering the prevalence of the deadly HIV virus.

The global statistics are overwhelming: 40 million people are infected
worldwide; 7,000 people die daily, 1,600 people each day are infected. Some
26 million people have already died. Devastating personal, political and
societal consequences are escalating.  
Therefore, the United Nations calls on every segment of society to come to
the rescue, specifically mentioning faith-based groups as essential to the
global effort.

Conservative Newsweek columnist George F. Will asserted several years ago
that what the world desperately needs is a new John Wesley, actually "a lot
of Wesleys."  Reflecting on the global AIDS crisis and Wesley in a Jan. 10,
2000, column, Wills wrote: "In 18th-century England, rapid modernization and
urbanization brought social disintegration that was exacerbated by a
chemical plague, of sorts, a product by the new science of distilling ...
gin. Traveling 250,000 miles on horseback to deliver 30,000 sermons to
largely illiterate audiences, Wesley enkindled a broad cultural, meaning
behavioral, reform."

The image that Wesley and his followers continue to portray to the George
Wills of this is one of compassionate, evangelical folk who care about the
bodies and souls of human beings, especially the poor, the sick and the
marginalized.  To understand why, we need to re-examine our own distinct and
dynamic theology and practice, mission and ministry, heritage and hopes.

More people probably "act" their way into new ways of thinking than "think"
their ways into new ways of acting. Wesley's understanding of Christian
faith and life was imbedded in the real-life issues of health and illness,
life and death.

Wesley was so moved by widespread illness and suffering among the poor
people of England, that by 1746 he even decided to practice medicine
himself.  He opened dispensaries, where every Friday he diagnosed and
treated patients.

Wesley incorporated into his mission and ministry the best knowledge
available in his time about medical care. In 1747, he published Primitive
Physick: An Easy and Natural Way of Curing Most Diseases. Wesley urged its
distribution along with devotional tracts, declaring, "If you love the souls
or bodies of men, recommend, everywhere, the Primitive Physick and the small
tracts." Obviously, Methodist people took this injunction to heart as the
volume went through 23 editions during Wesley's lifetime.  

Wesley could not have imagined a continent like Africa with potentially 40
million orphans. His heart, however, was broken by the plight of orphans,
and early Methodists established in 1740 an orphanage near Savannah, Ga.

The precedent of Wesley, following the pattern of Jesus, going everywhere to
preach, teach and heal the sick has been a powerful motif for Methodists
over the centuries.    Why hasn't our slogan, "the world is my parish,"
translated into an aggressive and compassionate program against global AIDS?

Seven lessons from the life and ministry of John Wesley are instructive as
we face the global AIDS crisis.  

First, shunning and stigmatizing the sick was not John Wesley's way.  Wesley
did not discriminate among the sick, helping some and ignoring others. In
his sermon, he defined the sick as "all such as are in a state of
affliction, whether of mind or body; and that whether they are good or bad,
whether they fear God or not."	 

Second, Wesley denounced indifference and demanded involvement.  He was
appalled that the rich in his society were so unconcerned about the
horrendous health conditions of the poor.  Further, Wesley was adamant that
visiting and caring for the sick was of the essence of the Gospel of Jesus
Christ.  In his famous sermon "On Visiting the Sick" he cited Jesus in
Matthew 25:36:	"I was sick and ye visited me." Such a work of mercy was "a
means of grace" and "necessary to salvation."

Third, Wesley stressed compassion, not condemnation, of persons who were
ill. Lack of compassion and inaction in the Christian community to the
global AIDS crisis stems in large part because of the church's negative
attitudes toward homosexual persons.  Now HIV/AIDS has become an "equal
opportunity" disease, and is transmitted primarily among heterosexuals.
Married women in the "two-third's world" are now the most vulnerable to
contracting HIV/AIDS.  Still Methodists show few signs of organized
compassion and care. 

Fourth, Wesley believed love was the way of salvation. Wesley spoke of love
as "the medicine of life." People struggling with HIV/AIDS look to faith
communities to offer prayer and care, hope and health and spiritual strength
to deal with the ugly stigma and discrimination inflicted by an uncaring
world.	What the world needs is Wesley's "therapeutic grace," emphasizing
the healing power of love for body and soul.

Fifth, Wesley was a champion of social justice, but did not wait for the
political authorities to act. Wesley did not hesitate to chastise
governments and society for their failures. For him ministering to the poor
and their needs was included in the job description of every Methodist.  If
that is the Methodist mandate, why have not Methodists everywhere formed
action agencies designed to reach out in healing ministries to persons
living with HIV/AIDS?  Why are programs specifically focused on global AIDS
still the exception rather than the rule? 

Sixth, Wesley sparked a major movement of behavioral change among the people
called Methodists.  Just as people must change their behavior in order to
prevent and eliminate AIDS, church leaders also must change their own
behavior: no more stigma and discrimination, compassion must replace
condemnation, and involvement must triumph over indifference. General
Conference 2004 must commit money to fight global AIDS, not just write
another resolution calling on others to act. Both the official, churchwide
General Board of Global Ministries and the unofficial Mission Society for
United Methodist have declared that AIDS education, prevention, treatment
and care must become a priority agenda in the church's mission.

Seventh, Wesley's understanding of Christian perfection prompted him to
expect Methodists to be deeply involved in the world. Perfection did not
mean fleeing from conflict or controversy, but to be in the forefront of the
struggle for life over death, healing over illness, comfort over pain. In A
Plain Account of Christian Perfection, Methodists can find a summons for
engaging constructively in combating global AIDS.  Wesley wrote: "Beware of
sins of omission; lose no opportunity of doing good in any kind. Be zealous
of good works; willingly omit no work, either of piety or mercy. Do all the
good you possibly can to the bodies and souls of men."

The church of John Wesley is very late in getting involved, but for the sake
of its own salvation, now is better than never. As an African proverb
suggests, "The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The next best time
is today."

The penultimate questions are "What would Jesus do?" and "What would John
Wesley do? and "what should United Methodists do?" The ultimate spiritual
question, however, is "what will I do?" 

# # #

*Messer is the Henry White Warren Professor of Practical Theology and
director of the Center for Global Parish Ministry at Iliff School of
Theology in Denver. He is also president emeritus of Iliff. He can be
reached at DMesser@Iliff.edu.

Commentaries provided by United Methodist News Service do not necessarily
represent the opinions or policies of UMNS or the United Methodist Church.

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