Saturday, September 12, 2009

Insightful

All of the pastors I've met in South Africa thus far. But I especially appreciated this tid-bit from Grant Retief. Roughly quoted:


Gospel preaching is the first tier of AIDS ministry in South Africa--not orphan care or hospice. And that's because AIDS is the only epidemic known to man that can be controlled by behavior. If people have their sexual behavior brought under the Lordship of Christ, it could change the impact of AIDS radically.

South Africa has the highest AIDS rate in the world. In one area, the average age has been lowered due to AIDS-related deaths from 67 to 37 in just about 20 years! Nothing I can think of has been more devastating to a society. An entire generation of adults is vanishing from existence. And one presumes a great many of them are going to hell.

I'm sobered.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Very good message for us in the West to hear. Medical aid, etc is good, but the Gospel will make permanent change spiritually, morally and socially. How we need to pray for spiritual revival as well as a flood of Gospel preaching in Africa.

Unknown said...

I would argue that Gospel preaching outside of the structures of a healthy local church is not enough. Indeed, I know of too many instances in South Africa where Christians living in blatant sin are 'part' of local churches where the gospel is preached.