The Rt Rev Bill Hewitt: We can't walk by on other side of Aids

Published on Saturday 26 December 2009 18:55

MOST people of all faiths and none are familiar with the parable of the Good Samaritan from Luke's Gospel. A man is left for dead after being beaten up, stripped and robbed of his possessions.

First, a priest comes along, finds the man in dire need of assistance, and continues on his way without a second thought. Similarly, a temple assistant sees the dying man, but he, too, walks on by. It is left to a Samaritan to take pity on the man and carry him to an inn where he is restored to good health.

It is a much-quoted example of the life-changing difference a stranger can make to those whom others choose to ignore. One such example, where the Church cannot walk on by, is the HIV and Aids pandemic. Over more than two decades, this virus has led to the deaths of millions of people and devastated families, communities, and the social and economic fabric of many countries. With ten people infected with HIV and six dying of Aids every minute of every day, the need is obvious.

People living with HIV throughout the world do not look for our sympathy but our solidarity and practical support. The Kirk set up its own initiative in 2002, the Church of Scotland HIV/Aids Project, and it has been providing support around the world through its partnership with Church-related and other faith-based organisations.

Over the past seven years, more than 600,000 has been raised by Church members throughout Scotland. This has been used to support more than 50 different HIV and Aids projects, run by local partners in different parts of the world, including Africa and Asia.

I had first-hand experience of one such project in the summer when I visited a school for Aids orphans in South Africa, with which my congregation in Greenock has a special link. As well as teaching the children, the teacher also provided basic education for adults so they could build up an awareness of the virus.

But HIV and Aids also present a much deeper problem rooted closer to home: the stigma and discrimination, which the virus attracts in Scotland.

The Church of Scotland has always seen itself as a Church for Scotland. Our mission to the whole nation is something that has been taken seriously across the centuries, whether in pastoral care, chaplaincy or education. In fact, the Church of Scotland has always been bold in going where others might fear to tread.

In particular, we need to take a stand against the ill-considered ignorance that so easily leads to stigmatisation of those who are HIV positive. The true exercise of our faith requires us to act in the interests of acceptance and understanding, so that those who are often viewed as "outsiders" can find a place of safety and wellbeing in their local church and in their community. If we can show our Christian concern through the provision of counselling and care, we will be doing something really important in Christ's name.

To be in a position to do this, I believe the Church has to build up awareness through the grassroots. Two weeks today, on 10 January, churches across Scotland will hold a soup-and-sandwich lunch after their morning service, in support of the fight against HIV and Aids. All proceeds will go to help the Kirk's partners, at home and abroad, who are the front-line workers.

The Church of Scotland HIV/Aids Project has long been campaigning for the Kirk to include HIV education as part of its training for candidates entering the ministry. The project's report to the 2009 General Assembly of the Church of Scotland urged that a task group be set up to work with the Ministries Council, the body that is responsible for training, supporting and equipping those in ministry. It is hoped they could explore ways that HIV and Aids education could be offered as part of their training programmes.

By equipping parish leaders at local, regional and national levels, congregations could better understand the issues around HIV in Scotland and would allow the Church to care and support more effectively. The Church wants to play its part in helping to prevent the spread of the virus, improve the lives of those living with and affected by it, and ultimately restore hope and dignity. If there is no HIV leadership among congregational leaders, there is no leadership in HIV within the Church as a whole. If this model worked, the training could then be made available to the whole Church, including youth group leaders and elders.

Churches overseas have already begun to realise the pivotal role they can play in their own communities in the areas of education, counselling, care and support, and I hope that the Kirk can begin to grapple with this. Although congregations have been generous in supporting work abroad, there is a lack of awareness about what lies on our own doorstep. Findings from the People Living With HIV Stigma Index 2009, published at the start of this month, show that almost two-thirds of people with HIV and Aids in the UK have low self-esteem, and a quarter have said they feel suicidal.

As followers of Jesus, we see in the man from Galilee someone who delighted in befriending and helping those who came to him in great human need. His person-centred commitment brought with it the possibility of new life – and life in real fullness. Faced with that model of compassion, who are we to shy away from the human challenge of HIV?

The Church of Scotland wants to rise to that challenge through understanding and commitment. We would love to do more, and with the active partnership of our Church across our nation, that is exactly what we intend to achieve.

As we look ahead to 2010, may we have the message of tolerance and compassion close to our hearts and minds. When people need our help, the Church should never be too busy, nor too important, to walk on by.

The Rt Rev Bill Hewitt is Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, and minister at Greenock Westburn Church in the Greenock and Paisley Presbytery.