A Modern Day Prophet

While many people are trying to bully the retailers into saying “Merry Christmas”, instead of “Happy Holidays”, there is one person that is getting the conversation right.  This guy is not majoring on minors.

     “We can be the generation that no longer accepts that an accident of latitude determines whether a child lives or dies - but will we be that generation? Will we in the West realize our potential or will we sleep in the comfort of our affluence with apathy and indifference murmuring softly in our ears?  Fifteen thousand people dying needlessly every day from AIDS, TB, and malaria.  Mothers, fathers, teacher, farmers, nurses, mechanics, children.  This is Africa’s crisis.  That it’s not on the nightly news, that we do not treat this as an emergency - that’s our crisis.”

     “Future generations flipping through these pages will know whether we answered the key question.  The evidence will be the world around them.  History will be our judge, but what’s written is up to us.  We can’t say our generation didn’t know how to do it.  We can’t say our generation couldn’t afford it.  And we can’t say our generation didn’t have reason to do it.  It’s up to us.”

                       ———–Bono

3 Comments »

1. Danny says:

   November 10th, 2009

   I’m fully convinced that we have everything necessary to eliminate extreme poverty worldwide in this generation.

   Except the desire.

2. Jamie K says:

   November 11th, 2009

   I like Bono’s words. They are very thoughtful and provocative. I get the sense, that he is deeply moved by what he has seen in Africa. It is a rare thing to find someone afflicted with a selfless desire for another person, let alone an entire continent.

   Bono has made tremendous strides with his ONE campaign, to bring a well rounded approach, inclusive of agricultural, industrial, medicinal, and governmental progress, to help build that needed infrastructure. I would consider ONE to be the best of the bunch, and would strongly consider giving. However, all that “goodness” is still at the mercy of those who are in power to exploit it.

   Is money what we “really” need to fix Africa? Has it fixed America? To me, it’s kinda funny, thinking about sending money to another country, when there are hundreds/thousands dying less than 1000 miles away from many of the same diseases and situations.

   We know there is hate and greed in every corner of the globe man occupies. Can Government, the modern “Church”, or individuals fix it? Can we really fix anything? The government is made up of imperfect people, the church,the same, and humanity as a whole is ignorant of her best potential,

   Is this the whole of what Jesus offered, now that we have been saved, we should be fully exercised in the giving of time and money for the “mundane”? Granted, it feels good and is a blessing to those both giving an receiving. There must be more we are capable of.

   If Jesus were here today, you think he might reach out and teach, hug, and heal a few thousand/million people?

   We are His hands and feet in the earth today.

   What if the ultimate expression of Christ was this… Imagine if the Jesus we have read about, had full expression THRU us. What if Jesus was multiplied by even just 1 million people acting with His same power and authority?

   Would anything stay the same? Good-bye AIDS, hunger, disease, etc…

   I wonder if the youth of tomorrow will read about that, one day.

3. Jamie K says:

   November 11th, 2009

   By the way…

   Money can do much to help the plight of the African people, but it cannot rectify the evil in men’s hearts, it can only empower it. So with much money… the potential for much evil. This is the other “sickness” in man.

   What the world needs is us to be His hands and feet. Until that moment is realized, GIVE MONEY!!! It is imperfect, and because of that.. we should press forward towards a better mark, the gift of Jesus.

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