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AIDS in the Black Community: A Voice in the Wilderness (cont.
page 2)
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As an observer of the unfolding epidemic, he believes the impact of that silence
is reflected in today's statistics.
"The consequences are visible in the statistics that, even though African
Americans are roughly 12 percent of the national population, we are more than
50 percent of all AIDS cases and HIV cases. The consequences are that we are burying
people in our congregations, people who are dying from complications related to
AIDS," Wilson said.
And the stigma of AIDS has forced many to suffer in silence.
"I relate this stigma to sin, Seele said. The sin of HIV, it drives people
underground. It's the sin of HIV that a gay man will not get tested, that the
gay man will live a double life. We have men who have wives, children and boyfriends
and they are in the church and we know that. They are our brothers, they are our
husbands, they are our family members."
While Seele advocates a variety of steps for overcoming this epidemic, she
believes victory can only be accomplished through prayer. There's nothing more
important than prayer because prayer is an action verb, you know. When we come
into an attitude of prayer we come acknowledging that of myself I can do nothing,"
Seele said.
But she is not without critics. Some black church leaders are uncomfortable
with her position on condom distribution saying it promotes promiscuity and premarital
sex.
"I definitely understand a church that says we are not going to give out
condoms, but let's partner with the AIDS service organization down the street,
let's send people who are sexually active to the Hospital to get the kind of resource
that they need. The church will never provide all the resources that is needed
to address HIV," Seele said.
That is a debate that is sure to last a while. In the meantime, Seele continues
her struggle against the silence. She is busy running the Balm in Gilead, a faith-based
organization that she founded in 1989. The Balm is designed to educate and engage
the black church in the fight against AIDS.
She took her organization's name from the scripture verse in Jeremiah 8:22,
"Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why is there no
healing for the wounds of my people?"
Seele said, "We are answering the prophet's question: Is there no balm
in Gilead?' black churches around this country are saying yes' there is balm in
Gilead. We are healers, we are the elders of the community and we are going to
provide resources for such a time as this to address the crisis of HIV in our
community."
It is clear that black churches across America have no choice but to get involved
in the fight against AIDS, because the status quo silence is killing the black
community. Those waging a war against the deadly disease hope prayer, prevention
and education will stop the virus from spreading.
The Christian Broadcasting Network, Inc. (C) 2001
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