In case you don't know who I'm referring to...I'll give you a hint...he is the lead singer in one of Ireland's best known bands...he has been criticized, and still continues to rock and be an advocate.
I'm talking about Bono of U2. Now I know some people are tired of seeing U2 and I admit they are around a lot but I for one say preach on Bono. He was asked to speak at the National Prayer Breakfast. A strange choice I suppose...and yet he made some really good points. I will highlight some here but I encourage you to read his whole
speech. He has an authority because people are willing to listen to him...now it may be a bad thing that we'll listen to a rock star and not some of our world leaders. But honestly does it matter what makes us listen? I don't think so...if a rock star can get world leaders and citizens to stop and listen more power to him.
Let me repeat that: It's not about charity, it's about justice.And that's too bad.
Because you're good at charity. Americans, like the Irish, are good at it. We like to give, and we give a lot, even those who can't afford it.
But justice is a higher standard. Africa makes a fool of our idea of justice; it makes a farce of our idea of equality. It mocks our pieties, it doubts our concern, it questions our commitment. 6,500 Africans are still dying every day of a preventable, treatable disease, for lack of drugs we can buy at any drug store. This is not about charity, this is about Justice and Equality.
Because there's no way we can look at what's happening in Africa and, if we're honest, conclude that deep down, we really accept that Africans are equal to us. Anywhere else in the world, we wouldn't accept it. Look at what happened in South East Asia with the Tsunami. 150, 000 lives lost to that misnomer of all misnomers, "mother nature." In Africa, 150,000 lives are lost every month. A tsunami every month. And it's a completely avoidable catastrophe.It's annoying but justice and equality are mates. Aren't they? Justice always wants to hang out with equality. And equality is a real pain.You know, think of those Jewish sheep-herders going to meet the Pharaoh, mud on their shoes, and the Pharaoh says, "Equal?" A preposterous idea: rich and poor are equal? And they say, "Yeah, 'equal,' that's what it says here in this book. We're all made in the image of God." And eventually the Pharaoh says, "OK, I can accept that. I can accept the Jews--but not the blacks.""Not the women. Not the gays. Not the Irish. No way, man." So on we go with our journey of equality.On we go in the pursuit of justice.We hear that call in the ONE Campaign, a growing movement of more than two million Americans... left and right together...united in the belief that where you live should no longer determine whether you live.He makes a valid point...many Americans today aren't really too worried about the AIDS crisis in Africa because it isn't on our soil, it isn't our people...but does it matter? As Christians we are called to live at a higher standard...we are called to care for the least of them...we are called to care for all God's people. It isn't easy...nor should it be...the call to be like Christ is the toughest call we will experience.
Now I'm not saying go that you personally have to go to Africa and work to save these people...you can and I would support you any way I could. What I am saying is learn about what is going on over there if you don't know, share with others what is going on, contact the people in charge who can make a difference, pray for a continent that is plagued, pray for the leaders making the decision, get involved, and fight the fight.
And I'll close with a final quote from my man Bono...
And this wise man said: stop.
He said, stop asking God to bless what you're doing.Get involved in what God is doing--because it's already blessed.Well, God, as I said, is with the poor. That, I believe, is what God is doing. And that is what He's calling us to do.Check out
www.one.org on how you can make a difference. And yes you as one person can make a difference.
