I was reminded today of some official court testimony I had the privilege of transcribing many years ago in the '80s when the AIDS scare was new in America. People who had full blown AIDS were treated like lepers, as if they had asked to be the recipients of that dreaded disease.
The testimony was by a man who had AIDS and had experienced the prejudice of people that comes from the lower nature of men and is dealt out to those who are different.
The man had a family friend whose little daughter also had AIDS, the result of a tainted blood transfusion given to her when she was a preemie. Even though the disease was certainly no fault of hers, nor her parents, just a result of sloppy blood testing by the blood supplier, the girl experienced the same prejudice as the male family friend. Word just seemed to travel fast in those days about AIDS. Because of fear and ignorance anyone who even had the HIV virus was ostracized by the rest of humanity.
The gentleman and the little girl in this case formed a tight friendship. They shared something common to both of them, not only the disease but also the prejudice of most people with whom they came in contact.
One of the questions that was asked of the man in the court case was if he feared death. He told the interviewer that, no, he didn't fear death.
The answer amazed the interviewer who had to know the reason behind the bold statement by this carrier of AIDS. He asked, "Do you welcome death as an escape from this life and this disease?"
The man answered, "No. I know that I will go to a wonderful place."
The interviewer asked, "Then you must be a very religious man."
"No, not really. I just know someone who has been there," the gentleman replied.
Again the interviewer probed for an answer but he got one that he never expected.
The gentleman continued, "See, I have a friend, a little girl who is seven years old who has the same disease that I have, and she, like me, won't live very many more months. I asked her one day if she was afraid to die and she replied, 'Oh, no. And I know you're not afraid to die either. Weren't you with me the other day when I went to heaven and played with Jesus and all them other kids? It was so much fun.'"
The gentleman concluded his testimony by saying that he trusted the experience of his little friend and was looking forward to a face to face meeting with Jesus who took his little friend to heaven for a play date with "Jesus and all them other kids" so that when the time came for her to permanently be taken there that she wouldn't be afraid.
This is a true story from a court case which I transcribed, the story of a courageous man and a privileged little girl who were very lucky to have experienced the Perfect Love that casts out fear.
The testimony was by a man who had AIDS and had experienced the prejudice of people that comes from the lower nature of men and is dealt out to those who are different.
The man had a family friend whose little daughter also had AIDS, the result of a tainted blood transfusion given to her when she was a preemie. Even though the disease was certainly no fault of hers, nor her parents, just a result of sloppy blood testing by the blood supplier, the girl experienced the same prejudice as the male family friend. Word just seemed to travel fast in those days about AIDS. Because of fear and ignorance anyone who even had the HIV virus was ostracized by the rest of humanity.
The gentleman and the little girl in this case formed a tight friendship. They shared something common to both of them, not only the disease but also the prejudice of most people with whom they came in contact.
One of the questions that was asked of the man in the court case was if he feared death. He told the interviewer that, no, he didn't fear death.
The answer amazed the interviewer who had to know the reason behind the bold statement by this carrier of AIDS. He asked, "Do you welcome death as an escape from this life and this disease?"
The man answered, "No. I know that I will go to a wonderful place."
The interviewer asked, "Then you must be a very religious man."
"No, not really. I just know someone who has been there," the gentleman replied.
Again the interviewer probed for an answer but he got one that he never expected.
The gentleman continued, "See, I have a friend, a little girl who is seven years old who has the same disease that I have, and she, like me, won't live very many more months. I asked her one day if she was afraid to die and she replied, 'Oh, no. And I know you're not afraid to die either. Weren't you with me the other day when I went to heaven and played with Jesus and all them other kids? It was so much fun.'"
The gentleman concluded his testimony by saying that he trusted the experience of his little friend and was looking forward to a face to face meeting with Jesus who took his little friend to heaven for a play date with "Jesus and all them other kids" so that when the time came for her to permanently be taken there that she wouldn't be afraid.
This is a true story from a court case which I transcribed, the story of a courageous man and a privileged little girl who were very lucky to have experienced the Perfect Love that casts out fear.
