God, AIDS, Africa & HOPE

Reflections / Gedanken

01/08/2013 • 1:14 pm Comments Off on In the press…

In the press…

There are two new articles of interest, one describing advances in a therapeutic vaccine, the other reports an interesting observation which could lead to a new approach regarding functional cure.

Cure: Curious Cohort on early treatment – read here
New HIV Vaccine is safe – read here

Another piece I found is the letter of a HIV positive mother, writing to her healthy future grown up son confessing her infection. A letter full of emotions and truth – read here

Enjoy reading!

Filed under: General, HIV and AIDS, HIV Treatment, Society and living environment, Uncategorized, , , , , , , ,

12/31/2012 • 1:58 am Comments Off on Zest for life..

Zest for life..

There are moments where you can feel it: the zest for life, the yearning for reaching out to the stars and grabbing the moon and the sun – touching the universe.

There are moments where you can feel it: that life has too many boundaries, too many rules, too many people telling you what to do and how to act and their reasoning seems so far away.

There are moments where you know that life has so much more to offer if you only would let it in, so much more love, so much more hope, so much more faith.

There are moments where you simply feel connected, carried, unconditional loved not even knowing where it comes from – it just comes over you in a split of a second.

Exactly then you are one with your birth and your death, your are one with your meaning, your calling in life – it is a most precious moment – keep it in your heart as it warms you when the cold slips in again in your daily life.

May 2013 be a year where many such moments keep you warm and carried and unconditional loved.

SH

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12/29/2012 • 11:19 pm Comments Off on Lucky I

Lucky I

End of the year is always a time to look back on one’s life, achievements and failures and the big question is whether with age also some more wisdom came to the surface.
Everybody must do this review for himself – for me, looking back I can only say: Lucky I or better I was blessed.
It was a tough year but I am still alive, lots of failures during the year, but I am still standing on two feet and feel growth, lots of great moments and still hungry for life, lots of love and I am very grateful for this.

The small moments made this year so valuable, the intimate moments with friends sharing life in a way one normally would not trust to do. The duties and services done and being able to touch the lives of other people. The sermons being not a one way road but begin of a meaningful discussion. HOPE Cape Town with all the great people working for and with the organization – even if there were tough moments to find a way forward serving those infected and affected by the pandemic. My contacts with sponsors and donors in South Africa and Germany, the HOPE Gala in Dresden, the Ball of HOPE in Cape Town and the invite to join the German AIDS Foundation in Berlin for the Festliche AIDS Gala.

Being able to speak to students, address groups, NGO’s , church communities and other entities – be it on land or on a cruise ship – it all made my life much more lively and beautiful. Meeting delegations, politicians, students, tourists – all interested in the work we are doing here in Cape Town – how good it is always being challenged by good questions and the interest in knowing it all.

Well, so at the end of the year I feel blessed with all the family, friends, supporters and even those struggling with me as they are needed to keep the boat of life going in the right direction. Thanks for all the good and the challenges and I am looking forward to a great 2013 with lots of all shades life has to offer. Knowing that at the end all comes together in what we Christians are calling God and who is named differently depending on each believe system – I am not afraid of what lies ahead.

How about u?

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Filed under: General, HOPE Cape Town Association, Networking, Reflection, , , , , , , , ,

12/27/2012 • 5:36 pm Comments Off on Different worlds

Different worlds

Being on a cruise liner as a chaplain means also to be exposed to many different people and talking about God, the world, HOPE Cape Town and obviously HIV and AIDS. And suddenly one realizes again how different the worlds are we are living in. Standing casually last night watching the evening show I was chatting with the medical doctor on board. Naturally we are in close contact as our work portfolios touch each other and this time, we spend even more time together chatting and befriending each other besides the work. Speaking about my experience of HIV and AIDS in South Africa and my question, whether there are HIV rapid test on board the good doctor is not sure whether there are. In the ongoing conversation he admits never having treated a case of HIV and as the discussion goes along, he mentioned that in the case he would encounter such a case on board, he would advice the person to leave the ship. I was stunned. Not that he had any reservations or discriminatory thoughts about people living with HIV. It was simple, that for him, HIV was an unknown syndrome, not present while he was studying and never present to his knowledge in his rooms.

Knowing how he cares about patients I wondered till I was falling asleep that for me HIV was such a “normal” factor of life while for him it was something unknown in practice and even far away in theory. Indeed different worlds and a reminder, that often we think, our environment, our knowledge, our expertise is normal to all others – and it is not. I hope that my talk tomorrow about the work we are doing with HOPE Cape Town in South Africa will open up some minds and hearts and contribute to a better dealing with HIV and AIDS in an European environment.

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Filed under: General, HIV and AIDS, HOPE Cape Town Association, Reflection, Society and living environment, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , ,

12/26/2012 • 9:56 am Comments Off on Questionable liturgical translation and some more questions…

Questionable liturgical translation and some more questions…

As a chaplain to sea on a cruise liner, it is tradition also to supply the crew with Eucharistic services during the festive season.  As most members of the crew are Filipinos I was asked to the service in English. After the first responses it became clear that the new English translation did not make it to the Philippines yet – nor was their English good enough to follow the complicated structure of the new English prayers. Latinised English did not do the trick and one could read on the faces of those attending that for them, all the prayers were spoken in a language not only not familiar, but not understandable. I am not sure the guys who did the translation did really consider those attending the Mass. Being closer to Latin means nothing to those wanting to understand their prayers, confusion does not mean more holiness during the service and this kind of translation is the second worse after the old Latin mass in the extra-ordinary form.

Reflecting over this at night I realized how often our church is speaking in a language not understandable to those meant to be addressed by the words. Jesus used simple words and examples to make his message understandable to those listening to him. Academic word constructions does not help the cause nor has it any long-lasting meaning – it obstructs the truth of the good message of God and hinders people to understand the unconditional love of God.

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