Today marks the halfway point of the Lenten season. Congratulations! You have come this far. I encourage you to stay strong as we begin the second half of the journey to Easter.
The devotion today takes the form of a poem that "represents the voice of the heart of a 6-year old child living with HIV and AIDS." It begins by referencing "Toba Lake," a large, natural lake in North Sumatra, Indonesia. The boy has lost his mother, presumably also to AIDS, and sees a "little ship" on the lake. He longs for his mother, and the ship becomes "a loyal friend substitute of my mother." But the ship doesn't hear his voice, doesn't see his improvement in health, and sails by. The poem ends sorrowfully, "Please.... tell me when you will come."
What does the little ship represent? Could it be all the people that look at victims of AIDS who are themselves afraid, and who walk away leaving the sick isolated and alone? Or is it death itself, which victims of AIDS live with every day, not knowing when the ship will return for them? I'm not sure. But what I do know is that the AIDS epidemic continues to take many lives, especially in developing countries. Many are children. Education and prevention are critical. Treatment, when possible, is also essential. Unfortunately, in these poor areas, the drugs are costly and not typically available. So many lives continue to be lost to this disease. Poverty does not just affect the stomach. It affects health, with the AIDS epidemic one devastating example. Pray for our healthcare workers today, especially those seeking to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS in developing countries.
The picture below is of a ship on Toba Lake, Indonesia
I needed your interpretation of this poem, Pastor. Thank you for the reminder to pray for HIV/AIDS victims as well as healthcare workers.
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