Reflections

One on One

with Bishop Paup

Transcript as it appears in the February 2007 Channels:

Grace and peace to you in the name of Jesus Christ.

It is a privilege to be able to come to you today with a particular concern that surfaced in the recent Council of Bishops meeting held in Maputo, Mozambique.  There we were told by African leaders about the circumstances they faced with killer diseases such as malaria and HIV/AIDS. We heard statistics that were sobering, and in fact helped us recognize that we stand a chance of losing significant numbers of younger generations on that Continent.  Even today a child dies every thirty seconds from malaria, or 3,000 children per day on the Continent because of that dreaded disease. 

It was announced in Maputo that we are now partnering in what I think is an extremely exciting adventure — a partnering that joins the United Nations Foundation, Sports Illustrated Magazine and the National Basketball Association in a campaign called “Nothing But Nets.” The purpose of this campaign is to raise awareness of malaria on the Continent, to raise awareness of how with bed nets and other forms of prevention we can help to eradicate this disease from Africa. The “Nothing But Nets” campaign was launched in December and now we partner with them to partner with others to join us in this effort.

Some of our own young people traveled to Johannesburg, South Africa between Christmas and the New Year in order to participate in a global gathering of young people. I know that while they were there, they too heard some of the stories of the killer diseases of poverty on that Continent and that they will be looking for ways in which they can participate to help make a difference to end these diseases forever. This is one opportunity that you and I now have to be part of this campaign. A bed net costs only $10. We can work together to provide bed nets for all the children on the Continent, but this takes partners in your community, it takes partners across this country, it takes partners around the world to help make this happen.

I am privileged to be able to serve our denomination currently as the chairperson of the Health and Relief Committee for the General Board of Global Ministries. This committee oversees the work of the United Methodist Committee on Relief, also Health and Welfare, and so therefore has the responsibility to work with this malaria project. We believe that it can be accomplished. We know that it will take a concerted effort from all of us. We know also it will take our prayers as well. But let us work together by the Grace of God, by the leading of God’s Holy Spirit, so that indeed we can help erase this horrible disease from the continent of Africa, indeed from all the world. This is our prayer.