I'm not really prone to soppy nostalgia, but I have been reminiscing this past week about the end of the Age of Delirious, my all-time favorite band. In my youth I never paid much attention to music, though I was bitterly disappointed that my parents wouldn't let me go to a Pink Floyd concert when I was in high school (now having teens of my own I can better appreciate their restrictions). Anyway, I became aware of Delirious when they were a relatively young band and I was in my 30's. Their music was always cutting edge (no pun intended for you D: fans out there), raucously rockin', and supremely worshipful - a masterful combo. Martin Smith, the lead singer and primary lyricist, was a gifted performer, and there could be no doubt that when he sang he was truly communing with and worshiping his Creator, Savior, and Lord.

I had the privilege of seeing Delirious in concert four times, and I unashamedly classified myself as a "groupie." The first time I drove myself, Alan Hartless and Sara Zeckoski (now Blum) from Blacksburg, VA to Nashville, TN to hear them play in a large church there. We made that crazy road trip in one day, a 14 hour round trip for a 2 1/2 hour concert. My poor husband stayed home to take care of the boys that time, but then together we saw Delirious at an Acquire the Fire convention and then twice in South Africa. What a blessing!

As the band matured and gained popularity they managed to keep their music fresh and their hearts pure. They traveled extensively and gained a real passion for ministering to the poor and lost. They were never shy about seeking God for miracles, and there are many testimonies of transformed lives and healings that took place during their ministry times. 

Here it is: World AIDS Day 2009. I wonder how many people outside of South Africa will give much thought to the fact that December 1 is set aside every year to commemorate and take stock of the global HIV/AIDS pandemic. There is a fairly high level of awareness of this day here in South Africa, but not for the best of reasons. South Africa continues to be the country with the most HIV+ people living in it, and it has recently taken over the top spot as the country with the greatest disparity between the rich and the poor. These are two things in which a country does not aim to be #1. The prevalence of HIV is linked to poverty, so the two do go hand-in-hand.

What this means in South Africa is that unless you’re living a totally isolated and sheltered life there is really no way that your life has not been affected by HIV. HIV takes people out in what should be the prime of their lives, so it impacts on families by killing wage-earners and mothers. This affects the whole economy, but more importantly, it leaves children without parents. There are literally millions of children in sub-Saharan Africa living with extended family, often elderly grandmothers, or in child-headed households. Life is hard enough for the poor, but it becomes nearly impossible if you’re poor and struggling because of HIV. It seems like the solutions are fairly obvious; after all, it’s basically a behavioural disease. However, it’s an incredibly complicated situation, so simple solutions are not as likely as one would hope. One critical factor which has been missing up to now in South Africa is the political will to tackle it head on. Until this year, the president and health minister refused to acknowledge that HIV was a significant problem in this country. Now we have a new president and health minister, and they are declaring an end to “the culture of denialism.” AMEN. But it will take a lot more than that to bring about real change. It will also take a lot more than making billions of dollars available. There are a few positive signs that things are beginning to move in the right direction. According to UNAIDS statistics, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of people in the region with access to anti-retroviral treatment, and the treatment of HIV+ pregnant women has increased 5-fold since 2004. However, it will quite honestly require very intentional and integrated approaches by people of faith to bring about the genuine transformation of society, and obviously, this requires the power of God.