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According to a recent UN report, the HIV/AIDS pandemic is continuing its deadly spread across the globe, infecting five million people in 2004 and bringing the total living with the virus now to over 40 million.
The terrible facts:
- Since it was first reported at the beginning of the 1980’s, 25 million people have died from the disease
- AIDS has become the most devastating disease the world has ever known.
- One person in every 150 people worldwide is now HIV positive and, without appropriate drugs, will die before long.
- This year alone, 570,000 children have died from HIV and over 700,000 more children have become infected.
The worst affected area is sub-Saharan Africa, where 66% of all the people living there are HIV positive. But Africa is not alone. Asia, which contains half of humanity, is particularly at risk as the numbers affected by the disease continues to grow at an alarming rate. And India has officially 5.1 million people living with HIV, a figure that the UN considers an underestimate.
Without sufficient drugs and an effective prevention programme, the impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic on many people worldwide, especially the poor, is almost beyond belief. While many will have their lives cut short after suffering terribly from the effects of the disease, others – particularly young families – will be left to fend for themselves in situations of dire poverty.
The causes of this pandemic are many and are best summarized in the words of a Ugandan priest living with HIV:
“AIDS is not just a disease. It is a symptom of all that has gone wrong in our society.”
Supplying free drugs to those infected and lifting more people out of poverty will certainly help to slow the pandemic. But with the disease already so widespread and people so easily infected unless their social habits change, the future for a large proportion of this world’s population looks very grim indeed.
Faced with such a prospect, it should be of some comfort to know that this world has not gone out of control. Writing about “the time of the end”, the prophet Daniel foretold the coming of “a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time.” (Daniel 11v40; 12v1) And, as if the problem of HIV/AIDS was not enough, many parts of the world are now living in daily fear of fanatical terrorism. Put together, it would seem that the description in Luke’s gospel could well apply to the violent and diseased world of today:
“upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth.”
(Luke 21v25-26)
Fortunately, Luke also records the fact that such fears and anxiety will not last for ever. Not only was the trouble and distress that we see around us now foretold 2000 years ago when Luke’s gospel was written, he also wrote about what would then follow:
“And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” (Luke 21v27-28)
When Christ comes again, he will have the power to correct all that has gone wrong in our society. And with these changes will also come the cure for all this world’s diseases, even death itself. This is made clear at the end of the Bible, where we read:
"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."
(Revelation 21v4)
The resurrection of Jesus Christ 2000 years ago set the pattern that others will copy when he returns. So, for those facing an early grave through the ravages of AIDS/HIV, the prospect of a brighter future is certain and sure.
It’s God’s promise!
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