spirit and healing in africa - University of the Free State
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spirit and healing in africa - University of the Free State

spirit and healing in africa - University of the Free State spirit and healing in africa - University of the Free State

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also linked to the Western media presentations of the African HIV-patient. Africa is continuously associated with disease, poverty and deficiency, meaning that African people living with HIV/AIDS are labeled according to the Western dominant views about Africans as sexually deviant and blameworthy. Such racism at an international level is rooted deeply, and it affects the quality of daily life of people living with HIV/AIDS. The counter-discourse that is generated by national and international stigmatization, aims at societal and global awareness of people living with HIV/AIDS. Constructions of AIDS determined by de-stigmatization efforts show that HIV/AIDS “has become a metaphor for change towards greater personal awareness and community involvement” (Bates 2007:72). Again other constructions of AIDS in Africa focus mainly on solidarity within the global community. The link between HIV/AIDS and unjust global systems has become the paramount notion, with the question of unnecessary suffering in Africa in its wake. HIV/AIDS is not solely a concern for individuals, and HIV infection is not only to be explained as the consequence of an individual’s risky behavior, because it “does not explain why some people in Europe and America also practise the system of having many sexual partners but do not get infected with the virus. It also does not explain why some people in Europe and America live very long with the virus while in Africa they die quickly” (Phiri 2003:428). HIV/AIDS offers for discussion the question of global relationships and of the distribution of health resources. Solidarity, taking responsibility and the sharing of resources at an international level will turn HIV/AIDS into a disease that is preventable, treatable and controllable — which can be seen as a valuable contribution to quality of life of people living with HIV/AIDS. 4.4.3 Quality of spiritual life Within the discourse on HIV/AIDS in Africa, it is dawning on society that the spiritual dimension to quality of life plays an important role for people living with HIV/AIDS. Illness intruding into daily life is usually associated with a disturbed balance of (life) powers that are of significance where well-being is concerned. Within Christian (and other religious) tradition the restoration of the spiritual balance is vital in order to be able to live meaningfully: the renewal of the personal relationship with God is closely linked to feelings of being accepted, with the effect of a perceived improvement in quality of life. Increasingly, church and theology in Africa explore in-depth the role of their communities in the search for quality of spiritual life for people living with HIV/AIDS. The church contributed unambiguously to stigmatization and discrimination of HIV-positive people, due to the church’s general message was that HIV/AIDS was the consequence of sin and immoral sexual behavior. 116

The church now acknowledges that it participated in the rejection of people living with HIV/AIDS, and calls for a new reflection on its mission within the context of HIV/AIDS (see WCC Ecumenical Response, 2001). Many churches have implemented this new mission, and have developed home-based care projects (whereby a network of family, friends, church and medical personnel is created in order to take care of the HIV-patient in their home environment), programs focusing on the support of orphans, pastoral counseling sessions and prevention programs. This massive response of faith communities basically means that they view HIV/AIDS as something that is part of the body of Christ, and now the body is forced to respond. The first priority is to be present and to support those who are HIV-positive. The second priority is to be a supporting community that is able to stimulate Christian hope in the lives of HIV-infected people, because when relations, hope and dignity are restored, then quality of life increases (see Cochrane 2006:63; Adogame 2007:481). In addition to the reflections of faith communities and their relation to people living with HIV/AIDS, there are the publications from believers who are infected with the virus describing how they themselves reflect on their relation with God. Even though they might feel rejected by the church, many people living with HIV/AIDS do not abandon their faith but instead start to redefine their relationship with God in the light of HIV/AIDS. The base line in these kinds of personal constructions on HIV/AIDS is that God is not the one who punishes human beings with illness, but that He is on their side (West 2003:341), that Christ is one of the people living with HIV/AIDS (Dube 2003:538) and that God “will make a way where there is no way” (Adogame 2007:481). Aids is often seen as an attack by the devil, and this interpretation evokes often combative responses: the believer is determined to focus on life and on the opportunities that life can offer to a child of God. Trust in God, often combined with the support of a faith community, helps the believer to re-design his or her life in such a way that it receives a new meaning. The emphasis on a life as God meant it to be, on a fullness of life for those who believe, is a counterstatement in the midst of illness, suffering and decay that so often defines the life of people living with HIV/AIDS. This counter-perspective shows that it is not despite the illness, but rather in the illness that quality of life is born. In addition to the descriptions of how faith communities find their way in supporting HIVinfected people, and how individuals redefine their life in the light of the gospel, there is an increasing number of (critical) publications about the role of faith communities regarding information distribution and prevention measures of HIV/AIDS. More often than ever before churches and other faith-based organizations pay attention to the prevention of HIV-infection among believers. The standard method of faith-based prevention projects is the emphasis on 117

also l<strong>in</strong>ked to <strong>the</strong> Western media presentations <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> African HIV-patient. Africa is<br />

cont<strong>in</strong>uously associated with disease, poverty <strong>and</strong> deficiency, mean<strong>in</strong>g that African people liv<strong>in</strong>g<br />

with HIV/AIDS are labeled accord<strong>in</strong>g to <strong>the</strong> Western dom<strong>in</strong>ant views about Africans as sexually<br />

deviant <strong>and</strong> blameworthy. Such racism at an <strong>in</strong>ternational level is rooted deeply, <strong>and</strong> it affects<br />

<strong>the</strong> quality <strong>of</strong> daily life <strong>of</strong> people liv<strong>in</strong>g with HIV/AIDS. The counter-discourse that is generated<br />

by national <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong>ternational stigmatization, aims at societal <strong>and</strong> global awareness <strong>of</strong> people<br />

liv<strong>in</strong>g with HIV/AIDS. Constructions <strong>of</strong> AIDS determ<strong>in</strong>ed by de-stigmatization efforts show that<br />

HIV/AIDS “has become a metaphor for change towards greater personal awareness <strong>and</strong><br />

community <strong>in</strong>volvement” (Bates 2007:72).<br />

Aga<strong>in</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r constructions <strong>of</strong> AIDS <strong>in</strong> Africa focus ma<strong>in</strong>ly on solidarity with<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> global<br />

community. The l<strong>in</strong>k between HIV/AIDS <strong>and</strong> unjust global systems has become <strong>the</strong> paramount<br />

notion, with <strong>the</strong> question <strong>of</strong> unnecessary suffer<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> Africa <strong>in</strong> its wake. HIV/AIDS is not solely<br />

a concern for <strong>in</strong>dividuals, <strong>and</strong> HIV <strong>in</strong>fection is not only to be expla<strong>in</strong>ed as <strong>the</strong> consequence <strong>of</strong> an<br />

<strong>in</strong>dividual’s risky behavior, because it “does not expla<strong>in</strong> why some people <strong>in</strong> Europe <strong>and</strong><br />

America also practise <strong>the</strong> system <strong>of</strong> hav<strong>in</strong>g many sexual partners but do not get <strong>in</strong>fected with <strong>the</strong><br />

virus. It also does not expla<strong>in</strong> why some people <strong>in</strong> Europe <strong>and</strong> America live very long with <strong>the</strong><br />

virus while <strong>in</strong> Africa <strong>the</strong>y die quickly” (Phiri 2003:428). HIV/AIDS <strong>of</strong>fers for discussion <strong>the</strong><br />

question <strong>of</strong> global relationships <strong>and</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> distribution <strong>of</strong> health resources. Solidarity, tak<strong>in</strong>g<br />

responsibility <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> shar<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> resources at an <strong>in</strong>ternational level will turn HIV/AIDS <strong>in</strong>to a<br />

disease that is preventable, treatable <strong>and</strong> controllable — which can be seen as a valuable<br />

contribution to quality <strong>of</strong> life <strong>of</strong> people liv<strong>in</strong>g with HIV/AIDS.<br />

4.4.3 Quality <strong>of</strong> <strong>spirit</strong>ual life<br />

With<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> discourse on HIV/AIDS <strong>in</strong> Africa, it is dawn<strong>in</strong>g on society that <strong>the</strong> <strong>spirit</strong>ual<br />

dimension to quality <strong>of</strong> life plays an important role for people liv<strong>in</strong>g with HIV/AIDS. Illness<br />

<strong>in</strong>trud<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>to daily life is usually associated with a disturbed balance <strong>of</strong> (life) powers that are <strong>of</strong><br />

significance where well-be<strong>in</strong>g is concerned. With<strong>in</strong> Christian (<strong>and</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r religious) tradition <strong>the</strong><br />

restoration <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>spirit</strong>ual balance is vital <strong>in</strong> order to be able to live mean<strong>in</strong>gfully: <strong>the</strong> renewal <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong> personal relationship with God is closely l<strong>in</strong>ked to feel<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>of</strong> be<strong>in</strong>g accepted, with <strong>the</strong> effect<br />

<strong>of</strong> a perceived improvement <strong>in</strong> quality <strong>of</strong> life.<br />

Increas<strong>in</strong>gly, church <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong>ology <strong>in</strong> Africa explore <strong>in</strong>-depth <strong>the</strong> role <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir communities <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

search for quality <strong>of</strong> <strong>spirit</strong>ual life for people liv<strong>in</strong>g with HIV/AIDS. The church contributed<br />

unambiguously to stigmatization <strong>and</strong> discrim<strong>in</strong>ation <strong>of</strong> HIV-positive people, due to <strong>the</strong> church’s<br />

general message was that HIV/AIDS was <strong>the</strong> consequence <strong>of</strong> s<strong>in</strong> <strong>and</strong> immoral sexual behavior.<br />

116

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