Bono's Remarks at the National Prayer Breakfast

Alright, this has nothing to do with our family, but I could not help but post this.
Yesterday Bono spoke at the National Prayer Breakfast and he challenged his audience, which included the President and First Lady, to increase the aid which America gives to the world's poor by 1% of the National Budget (it is currently below 1%).

No matter what your faith or political leaning, his words are worth heading, but to those of us who share his Christian faith they hit particualry hard and cannot be ignored. (And if any of you doubt that Bono has faith, you should listen to his words here, which - backed up by his actions on behalf of the poor - put most high-profile "Christians" to shame.)


Here are a few quotes from the speech, with a link to the entire text at the end of this artice:

"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."

"A number of years ago, I met a wise man who changed my life. In countless ways, large and small, I was always seeking the Lord’s blessing. I was saying, you know, I have a new song, look after it… I have a family, please look after them… I have this crazy idea…
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."

"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?
. . .
God will not accept that.
Mine won’t, at least. Will yours?"