Foreword to A Positive Life
Written by Kay Warren
My journey into HIV/AIDS advocacy began inauspiciously one spring day in 2002 when I picked up a
news magazine and read a heartbreaking story of how HIV/AIDS was viciously tearing apart families all
over Africa. Up until that moment in time, I had not paid much attention to the greatest humanitarian
crisis our world has ever seen. I’m not proud of my attitude; in fact, I still grieve today over the years I
wasted in ignorance and apathy. When God finally got my attention with the terrible suffering of those
living with HIV and AIDS, He broke my heart into a million pieces. I realized that they mattered to God,
and if they mattered to Him, they must matter to me. I can no longer live my life unaware or uninvolved
with the 33 million men, women and children who bear the burden of being HIV positive.
Because of my commitment to doing what I can to help the church of Jesus Christ be on the front lines
of prevention, treatment, care and support of people living with HIV and AIDS, I am always on the
lookout for others who share those same values. On one of our family vacations, my husband brought
a stack of books to read, including Shane Stanford’s The Seven Next Words of Christ. The title caught
my eye and I thought it would be a pleasant way to spend a few hours. As I glanced at the back cover,
I was thrilled to discover that Shane was an HIV positive pastor in Mississippi (The strangest things get
me excited these days!). I couldn’t wait to get home to contact Shane and learn more about him.
After Shane and I emailed a few times, I was certain that he was supposed to come and give his
testimony at the 2006 Global Summit on AIDS and the Church. For three years in a row, Saddleback
Church hosted the Global Summit as an opportunity for those who were just learning, or those who
were veterans of HIV ministry to increase their knowledge, share their expertise and connect with
others fighting the good fight. I loved Shane’s pastor’s heart, his passion for God, and his articulate
way of bringing truth to every conversation.
Sure enough, Shane moved the hearts of those attending the Global Summit – not just his fellow
pastors or others who were HIV positive. His voice was strong, full of confidence in the God he trusts.
He didn’t sugar-coat what it’s like to live with HIV. He presented the reality of the struggle with a virus
that is constantly seeking a way to destroy him, and the pain that comes from the uncertainty of fragile
health. When he finished, the crowd roared their appreciation, for he inspired them to live their lives
with hope.
Like his speech at the Global Summit, A Positive Life is a real message from a real man. He warmly
invites the reader into his intense physical journey with hemophilia, HIV, and Hepatitis C, as well as his
very intimate marriage journey with his wife, Pokey. Again, no sugar-coating the reality of marriage
problems, failure and sin. But at the end of the day, Shane’s story is not so much about pain,
suffering, loss and grief as it is about perseverance, faith, hope and love.
I’m grateful that God has allowed my path to cross with Shane’s; I consider him a friend and a brother,
a fellow bond slave of Jesus Christ. My prayer is that you will draw strength, courage and hope for
your life journey from Shane’s story. I have.
Kay Warren
Founder, HIV/AIDS Initiative
Saddleback Church
Lake Forest, California