In a blog post, Russell Moore—dean of theology at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary—knew it would incite some folks to declare that Jesus has AIDS. “Just reading that in the type in front of you probably has some of you angry,” he said in the post. But Moore has a method behind his declaration: “We’re often likely to miss that Jesus has identified himself with the suffering of this world, an identification that continues on through his church.” Moore said some of Jesus’ church body has AIDS; some are “languishing” in hospitals, some are orphaned by the disease in Africa. “Those are the very kinds of people Jesus consistently identified himself with as he walked the hillsides of Galilee and the streets of Jerusalem, announcing the kingdom of God.” He also submitted that churches must remain compassionate to the what he calls “the cries of the curse,” the curse of disease and illness and suffering around the world. “Jesus loves the world, and the world has AIDS. Jesus identifies himself with the least of these, and many of them have AIDS…Jesus has AIDS.”
Editor’s note: What’s your reaction to this story? Is it accurate to say that Jesus has AIDS? Why or Why not?
