"He knew about how I was getting my money - and yet he never told me to stop. Why didn't he?"
The lady who said this spoke in front of a group of people with HIV. She has the infection as well.
She was talking about her brother who had come to visit her in the big city where she was trapped in the flesh trade - giving her sexual services in exchange for cash.
The basic betrayal of family hurts her so deep. Tears were coming down her face as she shared her pain with the group. The lady standing with her, holding her shoulder and letting her speak also had HIV.
We fool ourselves if we ever make HIV into some kind of simple formula. The disease is in so many ways just the last straw in a series of betrayals and brokenness.
There were no simple solutions for this lady. She has made some huge steps already. Leaving her brothel, coming under the care of a group that helps women out of prostitution. But there are no magic buttons to press to make everything come out right.
She still grieves for her child who died while she was in the brothel.
Tears and prayer. Listening. Hearing the pain. Treating each other with respect. Talking to God. Encouraging and moving forward. Seeking forgiveness. Celebrating today. Taking our situations seriously. Delighting in the breath that we breathe.
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