Four candles for Aids Day!
This portrayal may be done at any event, even at a church service, to portray a message of reconciliation and hope in the HIV/Aids pandemic. Young people and children can participate in it.
Preparation:
FOUR candles should already be burning. One must be a large white candle, standing to one side, which represents Christ. The other three candles should have Aids ribbons on them. If the candles are large enough, the following words should be written on each of the three candles:
(1) Love
(2) Hope
(3) Faith
You also need a fifth, smaller candle, which will be used to relight the candles at the end.
The portrayal is performed by five persons, namely:
a narrator, one person for each of the three message candles, and a child.
Narrator: (the person may stand to one side)
The first day of December is known as "World Aids Day". Today, we as Christians wish to make a statement from our own perspective about this serious issue.
Here are three candles - each with its own name and its own message. Let us listen to it:
Three candles
Three messages: faith, hope and love.
These are such familiar concepts, and they are well-known to many of us because the Bible speaks of them.
First, there is faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus died for us, and through his death he reconciled us with God. Jesus rose from the dead, and we too will rise with him and have a new life.
Then there is hope:Our sincere belief that Jesus had saved us gives us hope in this angry, violent world.
And then there is love:A person who is anchored is in Jesus' love has hope and joy in his heart. Such a person can truly give love. He or she can love without feeling threatened, and set another person's interests above his or her own, unconditionally.
This is why these three words, these three messages always bring joy. And yet - something is wrong...!
Participant 1 comes forward and stands at the first candle:
This candle represents love --
But so many people who are HIV positive and who already have Aids do not experience love.
They hear us talking down at them.They hear how we condemn them, or how we first want to know how they contracted the virus before we are willing to help. They do not understand what love really means, because we do not show it to them. It is difficult for this candle to keep on burning in their lives.
(blow out the first candle)
Participant 2 comes forward and stands at the second candle:
This candle represents hope --
The message of hope should be an anchor for people who are suffering. And yet, just as the love-light is extinguished for many people with HIV and Aids, so they often experience hopelessness in their lives -- without prospects, without expectation. Everything is dark for them.Somewhere along the line, this light ceases to burn as well.
(blow out the second candle)
A child comes forward, stands at the narrator, and asks:
"Sir/madam, why aren't all three candles burning?"
Narrator:
The light of love and hope has died in many people living with HIV and Aids.It seems to me that they don't hear the message of these candles, or they do not understand it. They only hear that we criticise them, how we hurt them, and how we judge them. Then it becomes dark in their lives. Nevertheless, there is a candle that is still burning! It is the candle symbolising faith. Let us hear its message.
Participant 3 - preferably a larger child:
This candle represents faith --
Many people who are HIV positive and have Aids have lost this light along the way.
They struggle with so many emotions and crises that their faith becomes uncertain. They encounter so many people who are believers but who reject them, that they lose the will to believe.S ome of them haven't even really discovered the light. For this reason, it is difficult for the light of faith to keep on burning in their lives.
(blow out the third candle)
Child:
But aren't we going to relight these candles?
Narrator:
See here. Here is another candle. This candle is called the "Christ" candle. We read in the Bible that Jesus is the light of the world, and that God's children can also be the light of the world.
If people have so much sadness and darkness in their lives, then perhaps we should bring the light back to them!
Come, take this candle, light it at the "Christ" candle, and then light the other candles again.
(The child must be shown beforehand in which order to light the candles!)
(Child takes the smaller candle, lights it with the light from the "Christ" candle, and then lights the other candles one by one, as the narrator continues.)
Narrator:
(while the Love candle is being relit)
In Romans 5 verse 8, the Word of God says:
"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." And in John 13 verse 34, Jesus says:"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
Lord, forgive us our loveless behaviour, as well as our non-involvement, which is also lovelessness.Help us to demonstrate to others the unconditional, incomprehensible love that you have for us!
(while the Hope candle is being relit)
In Romans 15 verse 13 it says:" May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."
Yes, Lord, we acknowledge you as the God of Hope, the only Hope.Help us to convey the Gospel of Jesus Christ in such a way that people come to know you again as the God of Hope.
(while the Faith candle is being relit)
In 2 Corinthians 5 verse 20, Paul says:"We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."
Heavenly Father, thank you for your son, Jesus Christ, who have achieved reconciliation for us with you, even though we did not deserve it. Help us to spread the message of the reconciliation and justification in such a way that others can make it their own, in faith!
Today, we pray for all those who suffer under the dark cloud of HIV and Aids. Thank you that you are our light, and that you also want to be and will be their light.
Amen.