Read The Full Transcript Here
I've never been a part of the U2 movement. I don't know a ton of their music, I've never had a desire to go to their concerts... I can appreciate them but I've never been swept away. From 5-7th grade I listened to rock and from 7th grade on I've been huge into Rap. During my college years I transitioned to an appreciation for all types of music and now I even enjoy 'old people music'... I like songs that make me think... my favorite musician is actually Rich Mullins. But I digress...
I supported the ONE campaign and I still believe passionately in the causes put forth by Bono this Thursday. I was very impressed with his public speaking ability. I know, I know, he's a self-proclaimed and 100% world-verified rock star but his speaking ability is built more than simply from the ability to stand in front of large audiences.
Bono put forward a few themes that hit me... some for a 2nd or 3rd time.
1. Religion gets in the way of God.
Yes, it’s odd, having a rock star here—but maybe it’s odder for me than for you. You see, I avoided religious people most of my life. Maybe it had something to do with having a father who was Protestant and a mother who was Catholic in a country where the line between the two was, quite literally, a battle line. Where the line between church and state was… well, a little blurry, and hard to see.
I remember how my mother would bring us to chapel on Sundays… and my father used to wait outside. One of the things that I picked up from my father and my mother was the sense that religion often gets in the way of God.
2. Mans Law must aim to reflect God's voice in justice.
Preventing the poorest of the poor from selling their products while we sing the virtues of the free market… that’s a justice issue. Holding children to ransom for the debts of their grandparents… That’s a justice issue. Withholding life-saving medicines out of deference to the Office of Patents… that’s a justice issue.
And while the law is what we say it is, God is not silent on the subject.
That’s why I say there’s the law of the land… and then there is a higher standard. There’s the law of the land, and we can hire experts to write them so they benefit us, so the laws say it’s OK to protect our agriculture but it’s not OK for African farmers to do the same, to earn a living?
As the laws of man are written, that’s what they say.
God will not accept that.
Mine won’t, at least. Will yours?
3. It’s not about charity, it’s about justice.
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.
-------
I was personally challenged today as I watched the prayer breakfast on CSPAN. I couldn't help but to think "While conferences teach on budgets and technology we have millions of people dying around the world. What will I do in my corner of the world to help stem the tide?"
No comments:
Post a Comment