Ironically enough Bono of the Irish supergroup U2 was one of the featured speakers at last week’s National Prayer Breakfast. I missed his interview live, but was able to watch and listen to it later via the power of the internet on CNN. Say what you want about some of this man’s language and lifestyle choices… he has challenged my thinking as a believer and follower of Jesus. Bono says, “To me, faith in Jesus Christ that is not aligned to social justice – that is not aligned with the poor – it’s nothing.” He said that in 1988. Almost 20 years of backing that statement with his life have followed. Including, but not limited to, his recognition as one of Time’s People of the Year in 2005. You can read a transcript from that recent speech here… National Prayer Breakfast
How easy it would be to confuse this man’s image with his character. I find Bono to be a truer soul than most of us. Granted he has shunned organized religion because of some of the hypocrisy it has manifested. And I am not saying that everything he is or does stands in total agreement with the Bible.
What I am saying is that we would do well to learn from his example. To live our lives as Jesus did… for the least of these. To challenge the culture creatively to examine herself. The beauty of an album like Zooropa is that precisely. In an unconventional way U2 forced us to see our own excesses and question them. Brilliant. I could say so much about this band. The one thing that I know is that the spiritual journey for them is to be continued.
re:THINK 
Here’s an interesting link on Bono. http://www.worldmag.com/articles/10892
–Dorker
The pen is what?
I think it’s funny that when you mention Bono as an example of how to give you’re criticized. It’s like all or nothing. I don’t need a blameless example, I already have one. I need someone “in front” of me that I can follow. hmm? I don’t see the church of USAmerica emptying their wallets to reach out to poor brothers and sisters around the world. If we have, our memory is short. I’m embarrasses to say that I don’t do it that much either. But, Bono reminds me to. The scripture reminds me to. My friends remind me to. Harang over.