Jesus had HIV

[Okay, not really. But I think He probably would have had it.]

This post is my heart. And my heart is bleeding a lot as I write this.

While I was in Swaziland I had a dream where I was riding in an African van/coombie. My seat was right next to a window in the row the second from the back. All of sudden, a man came running after the van and jumped onto it in his attempt to get into the coombie. There was no way this man could have successfully jumped into the van window. What ended up happening was he was hanging onto the bottom of the window. His body was dangling below the window, dangerously close to being shredded by the rocks that made up the road. From where I sat, I could see only one option to get this man in the van. I knew I had to jump out of the van window to get him in there safely. I would have to jump out of the window, and using all my power and strength, lunge the man forward through the vehicle window. My thoughts were that I knew I would die…but this man didn’t know Jesus. I knew where I was going when I died, but I didn’t know where he was going to go. So, because of that, I decided to give up my life for him to find True Life. I knew my sacrifice would speak deep down to his soul. I knew he would know that something worth dying for is something worth living for. And so the dream ended as I jumped out of the van, giving up my life for this man I’d never met who would hopefully, someday, meet Jesus, the Lover of His soul. 

Jesus is clearly a lot of things. One thing Jesus definitely was is a missionary. I’m not going to get all theological, because I don’t really care about that. Jesus was the ultimate missionary. And He loved the “least of these” with everything He had- which is A LOT because He was God walking on Earth!

Who exactly are “the least of these”? The poor people, the people who are homeless, the people who are hungry? Yeah, they are definitely lesser than most people. But who is the LEAST? Who is alienated? Hopeless? Drained? Avoided? Hated? Those who have HIV are all of those things. The only thing I can relate HIV/AIDS to is Leprosy. It is recorded that Jesus healed a total of 11 people with Leprosy during his public ministry (Matthew 8:1-4; Luke 17:11-19). Those who had leprosy were the outcasts. No one would touch the lepers because touching them would make you unclean. That’s exactly how those with HIV are treated. So often people with HIV are completely avoided because people get this idea that HIV is airborne (total crap lie). Even though HIV is extremely prevalent in Southern Africa, if your village finds out you are Positive, they will likely kick you out of your house and your village. If you have HIV, no one wants you. But Jesus wants them- SO BADLY!

One of the most traumatic times for someone with HIV, or for someone who lives in a HIV stricken area, is when they are hurt and shed blood. People will run away from you as if they are expecting HIV to come and infect them in a gas form. Times like these are when they need Jesus most. And, if HIV were prevalent (or even existed back then…) when Jesus walked on Earth, He would have been all over the people with HIV. He wouldn’t run away when they scraped their knee or got a paper cut or got a bloody nose. He would stay there and love them through it all, because that’s who Jesus is. And He wouldn’t care if He was near them when they were bleeding. (It’s probably not “theologically correct” to say that Jesus could get sick…but just think about it.) He wouldn’t be afraid for their blood to enter His bloodstream, because He wants to show them His love in GRAND ways! There is no limits to His love. When his son gets a bloody nose, Jesus is to the rescue to clean it up (with his HANDS). When his daughter trips when she is playing jump rope and scrapes her knee, Jesus is there to clean her up and get the rubble out of her knee. 

You know what? I think Jesus can relate to those who have HIV and the shame people put them through. Jesus shed blood and most people didn’t want to be near Him when he hung on the cross. Jesus knows what it’s like! 

Okay, so I know this blog is “out there.” I know, and I’m okay with that. I feel deeply passionate for those with HIV/AIDS, and this is a revelation I got from the Lord about it. Hopefully you were able to follow my train of thought. Please, let the Lord do what He wants in your heart with this concept.

P.S. If you haven’t read my post, Loving with No Condition, you might want to.  (My hyperlink icon isn’t working, but it is featured on the left side of this blog as a “recent blog post.” 

It talks about this very thing. Here is an excerpt…

“

Through all the giggles, screams, and words I can’t understand, I hear a cry. It’s not loud, but my ears can easily pick that sound out of a crowd. I start searching to find where that sound is coming from. There are little boys flying through the air on swings, little girlssquealing and running past me. Then I found her. She is standing next to a swing and she is crying. She is standing still not wishing to make a scene but crying because there is a hole in her head the size of a pen. There is so much blood pouring out of her head that it seems unreal. As I run to her everything is in slow motion. Flashing through my mind I can see Jesus running up to her, sweeping her up in his arms and LOVING her. Mid stride I realize where I am…Swaziland, Africa. The HIV/AIDS hot-spot of the world…a country where half of the children I come in contact with are HIV positive…the country where there are more orphans than there are children with parents. By the time I get to her, I have stopped running. Instead of sweeping her into my arms and loving her I stare at her not knowing what to do.”