World Aids Day – Orphans of God

Today is World Aids Day.

World Vision Malaysia has been consistently helping people to be aware of the plight of those affected, especially children through the One Life Revolution.

When I watched and listened to the video above, I couldn’t hold back the tears.  Memories of the stories my African friends told me years ago suddenly crashed into me once again.  How does one grasp the experience of weekly funerals? How can we even understand what all this means for the children who have lost their parents?

I confess, perhaps because of distance geographically and personal contact with those affected, I haven’t thought about HIV-AIDS related concerns for quite a while (apart from more detached issues based conversations sporadically).

I would also like to confess, that it’s moments like this where something moves in the priorities of my heart.  I feel less interested in some of the debates or conflicts we are prone to enter into either consciously or unconsciously.  I am no saint and it’s not about being heroic or worse messianic . . . but one cannot help but pause and review what is important, what is urgent, what is needed and where we want to invest our energies in.

Today.  This week. The words from this song “Orphans of God” will be the sound track in the background, as I carve space apart from the 101 things I’m doing to do what is needed to discern what I want to concentrate on in days to come.

Orphans of God

Who here among us has not been broken
Who here among us is without guilt or pain
So oft’ abandoned by our transgressions
If such a thing as grace exists
Then grace was made for lives like this

There are no strangers
There are no outcasts
There are no orphans of God
So many fallen, but hallelujah
There are no orphans of God

Come ye unwanted and find affection
Come all ye weary, come and lay down your head
Come ye unworthy, you are my brother
If such a thing as grace exists
Then grace was made for lives like this

O blessed Father, look down upon us
We are Your children, we need Your love
We run before Your throne of mercy
And seek Your face to rise above

I only have one life, it’s fragile.  I am one person, finite and limited. I do believe God has called each of us to play our part in his kingdom vision for the world, as we have entered the season of Advent, this is a good time to prepare for Christmas by reviewing our lives and realigning to what’s most meaningful and most eternal!