The Marginalized

The tragedy in London, the starvation in Asia and Africa, the abuse of children in every country of the world, the escalating abuse of women, tribals wars, "freedom" wars that make one think we have misplaced the meaning of "freedom".

At Linwood House Ministries we talk about "the broken, the poor and the hurting" which leaves none of us out. We have been travelling with teams of women into Eastern Europe for the last 4 years, reaching out to women who have had no where to tell their story. The largest percentage of sex slave trade women are young girls brought out of Eastern Europe with the promise of work.

The AIDS count in downtown eastside Vancouver is the second highest, per capita, to Africa. But Eastern Europe has a huge problem with HIV/AIDS that the world is not hearing much about. This article Abuses over HIV "rife" in Russia gets my attention.
HIV-positive Russian women and their children face widespread discrimination and abuse, Human Rights Watch reports.
Children born to HIV-positive women are often segregated in Russia for no medical reason, the rights group says.
The report criticises "the very real discrimination" the women and children face - often from healthcare providers.
HIV-positive women interviewed by the group's researchers reported being verbally abused by doctors and nurses, or even being denied treatment altogether.
Plea for action
A health ministry official quoted in the report admitted that segregating children with HIV was a violation of their rights and "enforces the stigma society attaches to the disease".
Human Rights Watch urged the Russian government to prioritise measures to end such discrimination and address the issue publicly.
It complained that so far the "meagre" resources put into the battle against HIV/Aids had done little to educate the public or halt the spread of the epidemic.
Russia has some 300,000 HIV-positive people, according to government data. But Russian and foreign experts estimate the true number to be closer to one million.

Leoprosy was the disease that people shrank from in Jesus day, now it is HIV/AIDS. My heart is aching for these women, these children in Eastern Europe.

David said "Lord we know you will protect the oppressed", but this morning I am not so sure because all I see is the vulnerability of the oppressed, the broken, the poor and the hurting and how those in places of power, places that should be safe, oppress and marginalize them to a greater degree. In Eastern Europe one of the most unsafe places for them to go is the Christian Church because the legalistic view lacks grace and stands in judgment. For this I am angry!

This morning I feel helpless, I feel angry and yet I know there are people who are making the difference, one person at a time. Perhaps I am just overwhelmed by the magnitude of the pain I know is there, that I see around me, and realize I can do so little.