An Inch At A Time: Reflections on the Journey: WORLD AIDS DAY

Saturday, December 01, 2007

WORLD AIDS DAY

We're still in Riverside at Diocesan Convention but as today is World AIDS Day, I thought I'd share what will be happening in Pasadena tonight:

Welcome to Posada 2007: A Walk of Remembrance, Celebration and Hope

AIDS Service Center’s 15th Posada Candlelight AIDS Walk is a continuation of a Pasadena tradition to open the holiday season. This year’s Posada will take place on World AIDS Day, Saturday, December 1. Walkers will start in the courtyard at One Colorado in Old Pasadena and end in front of the newly renovated Pasadena City Hall for an interfaith closing ceremony of music and inspiration. Along the way, walkers will visit historic buildings, cultural sites and entertainment venues and view a moving display of panels from the AIDS Memorial Quilt.

All proceeds from Posada benefit AIDS Service Center. ASC, commemorating 20 years of service, provides housing services, transportation, comprehensive case management, mental health services and advocacy to over 1,200 clients and their families throughout Los Angeles County each year. In addition, ASC reaches 7,000 community members annually through HIV prevention and education services.
.

=================

See also Fr. Jake's post today, which includes a link to +Rowan Williams' World AIDS DAY statement on You Tube

Prayer for World AIDS Day (Cliff Reed)

O God, healer and comforter, be with all who suffer and all who strive to end the suffering. May your Advent hope be made real to those who struggle with sickness and despair. And God, when the world's griefs make us weary, help us still to care. We ask this in the spirit of Jesus. Amen

1 comment:

SUSAN RUSSELL said...: Just a note on comments today: I'll be offline most of the day in session at our Diocesan Convention but if any of the usual suspects are fixing to post the usual comments blaming AIDS on homosexuality they will be deleted ... as usual.; 7:33 AM

... where I try to be really clear about what I'm clear about. For example:

Religious persecution is when you're prevented from exercising your beliefs, not when you're prevented from IMPOSING your beliefs.

============

Using "biblical standards" to condemn those who understand that sexual orientation is morally neutral makes as much sense as using "biblical standards" to condemn astronomers who understand that the earth revolves around the sun. The Bible may have said it but that doesn't always settle it.

============

It's liberty and justice for all -- not some. It's respect the dignity of every human being -- not just straight ones. Got it? Great. Let's do it.

======

In order to keep moving forward toward liberty and justice for all we can't just be right about what the 1st Amendment protects. We have to be smart about how we respond to those who skipped the 9th Commandment and think lying is a Traditional Family Value.

=======

Jesus said "Love your neighbor." Not "Love your neighbor unless your neighbor is gay."

Smart things other people have said you should know about

“Faith in action is called politics. Spirituality without action is fruitless and social action without spirituality is heartless. We are boldly political without being partisan. Having a partisan-free place to stand liberates the religious patriot to see clearly, speak courageously, and act daringly.” -- Ed Bacon

“Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice. Justice at its best is love correcting everything that stands against love.” – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

"It's time for "tolerant" religious people to acknowledge the straight line between the official anti-gay theologies of their denominations and the deaths of these young people. Nothing short of changing our theology of human sexuality will save these young and precious lives." -- The Rt Rev Gene Robinson

"How can you initiate someone into the Body of Christ and then treat them like they’re half-assed baptized?" - The Rt Rev Barbara Harris

“I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.” ~ Elie Wiesel, 1986 Nobel Peace Prize

"Resolve to be tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant with the weak and wrong. Sometime in your life, you will have been all of these." — Siddhārtha Gautama

"I'm so glad Mary didn't wait for the formulation of a Doctrine of the Incarnation before she said 'Yes' to God." -- Ed Bacon

"The great Easter truth is not that we will be born again someday but that we are to be alive here and now by the power of the resurrection." -- Philips Brooks (paraphrase)

"History belongs to the intercessors, who believe the future into being.” -- Walter Wink

“Patience, a quality of holiness may be sloth in the soul when associated with the lack of righteous indignation.” -- Abraham Heschel

"Don't tell me what you believe. Tell me what difference it makes that you believe!" -- Verna Dozier

“We establish no religion in this country, we command no worship, we mandate no belief. Nor will we ever. Church and state are, and must remain, separate. All are free to believe or not believe, all are free to practice a faith or not, and those who believe are free and should be free, to speak of and act on their belief. At the same time as our constitution prohibits state religion, establishment of it protects the free exercise of all religions. And walking this fine line requires government to be strictly neutral.” -- Ronald Reagan

Let's be clear. The fact that the State authorizes a marriage in no way compels any Church to perform or recognize it. Marriage equality merely guarantees equality under the law to all citizens; it does not compel churches to do anything.-- Katherine Ragsdale