UMTV Brief

UMTV Web Brief 12/2/02

 AIDS Widow Intro:

THE REV. JODY LINK LEARNED FIRSTHAND THAT AIDS CAN AFFECT ANYONE, NO MATTER YOUR SEXUAL ORIENTATION OR HOW YOU HAVE LIVED YOUR LIFE. HER HUSBAND, THE REV. KENDAL LINK, CONTRACTED THE VIRUS IN 1985 THROUGH BYPASS SURGERY. HE DIED IN 1993. THROUGH IT ALL, SHE’S GAINED A DEEP UNDERSTANDING AND COMPASSION FOR THOSE WHO ARE LIVING WITH THE DISEASE.

AIDS Widow Commentary:

It was one unit of blood in the heart-lung machine on an emergency heart bypass. When it first happened, he was, of course … the fear of being shunned was very high. He was in the hospital two times, where the nurses were just terrified of him. He related very closely to the biblical explanations of unclean, unclean and being touched by Christ and renewed. Nobody, no matter who they are or how they live, deserves to have this disease …and we all need to agree with that. It’s impossible to think that, because of some people’s activity, therefore, they have earned it; they deserve it. We never say a cancer patient has earned his death or his disease. Her smoking has gotten her where she is. We always say, “Oh, isn’t that tragic?” We need that same kind of empathy for people who are afflicted with AIDS. The only way we can, in the church, come to grips with it is when we recognize it as our problem.

Acting Responsibly Intro:

AWARENESS SEEMS TO BE A KEY COMPONENT TO CURBING THE SPREAD OF HIV AND AIDS. IT’S A DIFFICULT TASK IN A COUNTRY LIKE SOUTH AFRICA, WHERE THE CULTURE DOESN’T TALK OPENLY ABOUT SEX OR THE DEADLY DISEASE. A UNITED METHODIST MINISTER HAS FOUND A WAY TO REACH PEOPLE IN THE REMOTE REGIONS THROUGH A FORM OF ENTERTAINMENT.

Acting Responsibly Story:

WITH THE SUN AS A SPOTLIGHT, THIS IS ABOUT AS FAR AS YOU CAN GET FROM BROADWAY. BUT THE TROUPE OF ACTORS IN A VILLAGE IN MALAWI, EAST AFRICA, IS ABOUT TO PRESENT THE ULTIMATE LIFE-AND-DEATH DRAMA … ABOUT AIDS.

Daniel Mhone: "Rural communities have no entertainment, so these act as part of entertainment, and that’s why they come."

UNITED METHODIST MINISTER DANIEL MHONE CO-WROTE THE PLAY IN AN EFFORT TO REACH PEOPLE IN A CULTURE THAT DOESN’T OPENLY DISCUSS THE DISEASE.

Mhone: "It's not a church service, as it were, where people would have negative attitudes: ‘Well, I don't belong to this church so I cannot attend.’ But a play is a play."

THE PLAY BRINGS AIDS, KNOWN IN MALAWI AS EDZI, TO THE FOREFRONT IN A TIME WHEN MORE THAN 1 MILLION MALAWIANS ARE NOW LIVING WITH THE HIV VIRUS. THE UNITED NATIONS SAYS THE LIFE EXPECTANCY FOR A BABY BORN HERE TODAY IS 36 YEARS OLD.

THIS PLAY, CALLED “THE PRODIGAL SON,” SHOWS HOW MULTIPLE PARTNERS -- IN THIS CASE, PROSTITUTES -- HAVE LED TO THOSE DEADLY NUMBERS.

Mhone: "As a church, we see it as our responsibility to help them out so that they are able to accept … accept it and see a way forward. And see that there is hope. "

WHILE SOME BROADWAY PRODUCERS MAY LOOK FOR BIG BOX OFFICE TURNOUT, DANIEL MHONE KNOWS HIS PRODUCTION IS MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE REAL LIFE-AND-DEATH DRAMA OF AIDS IN AFRICA.

Acting Responsibly Tag:

PASTOR MHONE SAYS HE HAS SEEN THE PLAY WORK TO ENCOURAGE PREVENTION AND COMPASSION. IT COMES AT A CRITICAL TIME. IT'S ESTIMATED THAT NEARLY ONE THIRD OF THE MALAWIAN WORK FORCE IS INFECTED.

Tease next week:

ON THE NEXT UMTV WEB BRIEF …

SANTA CLAUS GRANTS A DEAF MAN’S WISH.

THANKS FOR WATCHING; MAKE IT A GOOD WEEK.