Compassion has a divine and human element. Jesus modeled compassion in Matt. 4:23-24; 20:34; and James 5:11. We can say it is imbedded in human experience. It is a norm. We find it in daily living, culture, and tradition. It is biblical and theological. God is compassionate. We have something that we can give to others. In the giving of self we contribute to the mystery of healing.

Compassion is a fiber in religion. In fact it is an ingredient in human beings. The Christian message is about humanity. God has called us to bear witness so that no one is a stranger or an outsider. In Christ all division and separation have been broken.

The need I want to focus on is HIV/ AIDS but our response is not limited to this disease. There are millions of people (known) suffering from this pandemic. There are millions more not known suffering from this disease. In the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, AIDS patients are eligible for salvation. But how should the church respond?

The Christian Faith Is Challenged

The Church is challenged to participate and assume leadership in education and prevention of AIDS. While researchers are battling for a vaccine the Christian Church must enter into partnership with the community to minister to those in need. The Christian faith is not selfish. God calls us to expend ourselves in the lives of others.

There needs to be a renewed sense of urgency with respect to AIDS ministry. One of the basic problems is that the church responds slowly even in the best times. The urgency that AIDS presents requires the church to get into a fast mode and take on a supportive role in the community. The challenge of AIDS is large and complex because there are many issues surrounding this disease. There are some common areas for both church and community to work together. There are also areas where the church can be most effective in order to stop the spread of this disease.

The Christian Faith Is Without Barriers

Compassion does not draw an indelible line between “us and them.” We have the embellished opportunity to be human and Christ to people in need. The Church knows how to mobilize in the midst of adversity. More than other illnesses, AIDS forces us to redefine Christian ministry and commitment to God.

We are witnesses to a nightmare that is progressing instead of coming to an end. Every person on this earth is in the HIV/AIDS crisis. A person suffering from cancer is not suffering alone. Every member of the family is affected. If that person is affiliated with a church, the church family is affected. An HIV/AIDS patient is not different. While many AIDS patients contract this disease in a sinful way, many also contract it through no fault of their own.

The healing place for people in need is the Church. AIDS patients are persons suffering from a disease. They are not the disease. If we do not reach out to them, we are turning them into a medical case. They are not only people who are facing imminent death but they are living and capable of relationship. In this context, the church can create an environment for AIDS patients to find fulfillment and personal growth within the body of Christ.

Christianity is about love. The Christian response to a need is based on love and compassion. Christianity is more about love than religious rules. A necessary by-product of love is relationship. Jesus challenged the religious leaders of His day concerning love and relationship in Matthew 5:43-48. He sets the standard of relationship “So you must be perfect, just as your father in heaven is perfect” (v. 48). In 1 John 2:7-17 the Apostle addressed his listeners on the commandment of love. These are piercing words for all believers in Christ. Sure, there will be excuses because a deadly disease challenges a response from the church.

The Christian Faith Is Inclusive

Jesus included sinners in His circle of concern. The image of hospitality is scriptural. In the midst of a crisis there is an urgency to manifest a compassion that welcomes them into the fellowship. It takes courage to watch a disease rob a person of dignity and disable a person from performing the most intimate function of life.

A person with cancer has hope of getting well. A person with AIDS has no hope of getting well. Dignity is reduced and privacy is unveiled. The patients I interviewed do not hope for physical healing. They want dignity and friendship for their remaining days. They hope for a remedy to cure other patients.

The message to the Church is to embrace people with needs. This is the best way to extend God’s love and invitation to enter into the joy of the kingdom. Servanthood is serving the needs of patients and families without depending on society.

A disease is not a drama but a life of pain and suffering. The Christian Church accepts the challenge and faces the opportunity for ministry and a commission to discipleship. The crisis is not only about personal grief and suffering but destruction of family and community relationship.

Jesus calls us to respond with integrity and credibility. Negligence is a failure in discipleship. A redemptive response is the acceptable attitude that results in reconciliation and compassion. Responding to a need is a matter of commitment. This is reason enough for pastoral care and supportive ministries. Withdrawing or ignoring a response to a need is rejecting the prophetic obligation of Christianity.

Albert Harper wrote, “God asks his people to be fair, to be concerned for others, to watch out for their welfare, to be compassionate, to be generous.” James Hightower asks, “Can I follow the example of Christ and hug a leper of today?” There are good reasons to be compassionate.

A compassionate response to a need is the Jesus thing to do. Our gift to a needy person is worthy. It helps to lift a person from the pit of despair to a life of hope. The riches of this world are good only in this world. What we do with our material possessions in this life can add to our treasure in heaven. There is more to gain as we learn to be human in this world.

Life is short. It is much shorter for people who are suffering from deadly diseases. People in need are usually isolated. Their self-consciousness may prevent them from attending regular church functions. If they are reached, the church must be creative to provide ministry to them.

Christ did not come to mankind only announcing His kingdom. He became a part of human life through the Incarnation. The Apostle John wrote, “Suppose someone has enough to live and sees a brother or sister in need, but does not help. Then God’s love is not living in that person. My children, we should love people not with words and talk, but by our actions and true caring” (I John 3: 17-18).

by Ramesh Deosarran
Author, A Handbook in HIV-AIDS Counseling
Online Adjunct professor, Nazarene Bible College