Friday, August 11, 2006

More from Bono

I came across this post on Jay Hardwick's blog. These are from his notes taken from a conference he's attending:

My heart is gripped. How can it not be? We just watched an interview Bill Hybels did with Bono, lead singer of the greatest rock band ever, U2. Bono has taken his influence, or as he calls it, his "currency," as a celebrity to lead people to involve themselves in the work that God has already "blessed" - work to care for the poor and vulnerable.

Here are some highlights:

“God is with us when we are with them (the poor and most vulnerable).”

"I never had any problems with Christ, but Christians were always a big problem for me."

"Great ideas are like great melodies – immediate resonance, passion, clarity, etc."

"The church has historically always been behind the curve."

"Christ won’t let the church walk away from the AIDS emergency because it’s hard and expensive."

"Only 6% of Christians polled felt it imperative for the church to be involved in the AIDS crisis."

"Love thy neighbor is not advice – it’s a command. Who is our neighbor in the global village?"

"Your service to the poor, the imprisoned, the vulnerable, the widows, and the orphans defines your place in the Kingdom."

"The church must create the moral and practical infrastructure to address these issues."

Bono then turned and faced the camera and said, "We need you. These problems are fixable, but not without the involvement of the leadership of the local church."

Hybels closed with a live challenge concerning the AIDS pandemic. At current rates, by 2015, over 115 million people will die from AIDS. He said, "For the church to sit idly by and say 'what's happening over there is not my problem,' is unacceptable." What can you do:

1. Educate yourself and your church
2. Get involved financially and personally
3. Every Senior Pastor should travel to Africa and see it for themselves

At Catalyst, we are already forming a great partnership with a great organization that will be our way to involve ourselves in helping to turn this crisis around. There's more to do, but that's a start for us.

Bono spoke about the following passage and said it's not a warm and fuzzy idea, but a command from God with judgment held in the balance:

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'"

1 comment:

Bryonm said...

In the US, AIDS was spread predominately through high risk behavior like intraveneous drug use and male homosexuality. Blood transfusions was where AIDS spread as well.

But now AIDS is an epedemic that demands a response. Here are some links to some educational materials about HIV/AIDS if intersted: free boof, HIV/AIDS brochure, AIDS through a child's eyes.

For example, did you know that in areas ravaged by war, a high percentage of women who are raped are raped by men carrying HIV/AIDS? AIDS is used as a weapon. Following God's Word does not prevent these women from getting the disease nor the children that are the result of those rapes.

Thanks for the comments. This kind of discussion in vital.