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HIV/AIDS, like multiple diseases prior to 1981, has taken million of lives, left countless orphans, and destroyed families. Asked the disciples, "when I was hungry, did you feed me? Thirsty, give me a drink? "In prison, visted me? One message that is clear to me is that we have an obligation to reach out to others around us. The disciples were linear thinkers who asked, "when have we seen you hungry or thirsty and not given you food or water?" Jesus responded, "whenever you do so, you do for me."

You and I as Christians cannot pick and choose who Christ is in our midst. We cannot decide to work diligently toward curing one illness because it takes the lives of people we have labeled "good." Conversely, we cannot refuse to support research toward a cure for a disease because those who contract HIV/AIDS have acted against our beliefs and religious teachings.

I met my first person living with HIV in 1982. He was a 21 year old hemophiliac and contracted the virus through the very blood factor he needed to sustain his life. I have met and loved men and women who have lived and eventually died from the effects of AIDS, who have made major impacts on my life. Although AIDS was first called GRID "Gay Related Imunne Disease" which labled gay men and some of their sexual practices, HIV/AIDS expanded into the non gay population.

"Love your neighbor as you do yourselves," Jesus taught. To deny a cure for HIV/AIDS speaks volumes about our own self esteem and love. How many of us would ask that a cure not be found for a cancer that we might have, or a new strain of a virus threatening our lives, or an infection so heinous that it eats away flesh and leaves the survivor (if he/she does survive) without a limb, or portions of their bodies disfigured because of the extensive surgery essential to halt the devastation of the infection? I once asked a doctor how she coped with the large number of young men with HIV/AIDS who were in her caseload. She replied, "No, they bring this on themselves." I could hardly believe what I heard! This however, was not a unique response to those living with HIV disease.

A number of years ago, I traveled to Washington, DC for the display of the AIDS Quilt on the Washington Mall. I was overwhelmed by the enormity of the quilt. My partner was concerned about me emotionally, because I had worked and loved so many of the people memorialized in this quilt. We began walking up and down the rows of quilt panels. Before we had viewed two dozed panels, I had

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