Rock Stars, Hate & Jesus.
I am unpacking boxes from my recent move and with my speakers on the floor and my TV on a cheap make-do stand I am surrounded by barren walls and music from MTV’s coverage of LIVE 8. It takes me back 20 years when I had just completed college and found myself in my parents basement sitting in front of an old RCA color television set watching a young Bono climb the speakers singing Pride, "In the name of love… one man in the name of love…"
LIVE AID is the instrument that raised my consciousness about poverty, not only in Africa, but in my own city.
Live 8 is a beautiful thing despite what may be construed by some as hype by over-paid celebrities. I am grateful that they are drawing my attention to my ignorance and indifference. What a touch of grace that folks can use their platform to raise awareness.
I find it interesting that it is the rock-n-roll artists and musicians who were instrumental in formulating LIVE AID and now LIVE 8. Theses were the guys in Elvis’ day who were supposedly the ones who were "doing the devil’s work" and here they are now doing God’s work or as some would say, the work of the church.
Leave it to a rock star to show me how to follow Jesus.
I just wonder with what is taking place with LIVE 8 where the world is coming together to help end poverty if we can come together and end hate?
In the same manner that love is a deliberate action that is helping to end poverty, perhaps love can be the deliberate action to help end hate.
Now if I could just Bono to write a song to help me awaken to my indifference.
9 Comments:
Hey Rick, great post as usual. I just finished posting about Live 8 as well, but I didn't have anything real positive to say. I wish I did. It's nothing factual, just an inner feeling of unsettledness about it.
But like you, I watched the Live Aid 20 years ago. My sister and I actually pulled a TV to the edge of the sliding glass door so we could sit outside in the sun and watch it. It was an incredible experience that made a huge impact.
I couldn't bring myself to watch it today. I LOVE Bono. I love all of U2. Why am I so cynical? Not sure....but it's nothing against Bono (let me make that perfectly clear!)
I also remember participating in "Hands Across America" do you remember that?
Thanks for the post, I hope you are right and that my gut feelings about this event are wrong. That would be great.
Well woman, I would suggest that your inner feeling of unsettledness may just be the Holy Spirit...
Although I want to believe that Geldoff's intentions are honorable, and although I want to believe that this does indeed increase awareness, I hold little hope that this will make the impact Rick (and others) seem to think it might...
After all, we have history, an adequate guage of future performance, and it would seem to me that Live Aid had little impact on poverty, I'm not sure I understand the mechanics that would suggest that Live 8 will be any different.
I can hope that it will and I'm glad to see that a wide spectrum of people all over the political compass supports the effort.
But where will it lead?
Poverty in Africa is a complex thing and throwing money at the problem won't necessarily solve those problems.
And there are political components of governance in areas hardest hit that will have to be dealth with to make a difference and frankly those on the left don't have the stomach to confront that problem.
I'll hold on to hope that a difference can be made through vehicles like LiveAid and Live8.
But I'm also a realist and a student of history.
Both tend to pierce the balloon of naivete that so dominates this issue.
Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts.
Layla, I think it is a good thing that awareness is being raised and folks, perhaps a younger generation are growing more conscious. I too am attempting not to be cynical. I hope for the best.
AS you know this isn't about raising money as much as it is awareness.
Rick in Va., I too wondered how much of what Geldoff did actually helped ease hunger. Here we are 20 years later. Yet, I don't want to discount his efforts.
Quite honestly, I am not sure what impact I think this will make. I want to be optimistic, but I have no real expectations.
As a Christian, I think it is a good thing anytime we are working for the "least of these". Because as you know, he calls for us to step up and step out for those who he defines as the "least of these."
IT would almost sound liberal if Jesus had not said it, :) (That's a joke.)
Respectfully, could it be the HOly Spirit leading Bono and Geldoff (among others)? Perhaps the "naivete" is hope for something better. Perhaps the HOPE is a work of the Spirit?
Hope is a good thing. Faith, hope and love... Hopefully the act of agape that is happening this weekend will result in a realized hope.
Thanks again Layla and Rick.
Happy holiday.
GOd's peace and blessings,
Rick
About six years ago I worked for a year for a christian hunger relief agency. It was an eye opener. The problem in Africa is so huge it's hard to get your brain around it. AIDS has devsated the continent to such an extent that millions of children have been left orphaned... can you imagine if this was your town and thousands of children lived in the streets, reduced to crime as their only means of survival? War has also crippled vast areas. I asked my boss one day, "Why is it so bad in Africa?" He said, "Because they worship the devil!" Really? Seems to me there are Christians there and they are suffering too. Hmmm... could it be that much of Africa stills suffers from the abuses brought on by colonialism? Given the fact that the African continent is now filled with orphans, and given the fact that God seems to put the care of orphans at a pretty high priority, we as Christians better pay some attention here. A big reason why these African nations can't seem to get it together is because much of their income goes to paying off debt to G8 countries. The interest alone prevents them from ever paying off these debts. If there is ever to be a solution, their debts must be forgiven so that they can concentrate their funds on solving their problems. Back when I worked with the hunger relief agency we were in the business of raising funds to support the work of missionaries. These missionaries have been dealing with these issues and crying out for justice for years. Finally, because of things like the One Campaign and Live 8, the G8 is finally moving to do something to solve the problem. So don't be cynical about a silly concert. The purpose for the concert isn't to showcase rock stars. It is to motivate YOU the masses to voice your opinion on the matter and move politicians and business people to "do the right thing."
PS:
God will use whoever and whatever He wants in order to achieve His will... how silly for us to think He only uses us Christians. Heck, we bail on him most of the time anyway.
Thanks Becky! I apreciate your comments and I agree with you. I chuckled at your comments about "Christians" doing God's work. I agree with you, hence my comment about a rock star showing me how to follow Jesus. Thanks again for you thoughts and comments!
BTW, "debt relief" is very biblical and most of the OT has its roots in some form of indentured servtitude. That is where prostitution stems from in the Hebrew scriptures.
My point is, this isn't a new concept on GOd's agenda or a few liberals wanting the world to wake up and make a difference, perhaps this really is the Holy Spirit working.
Rick - amen, and AMEN...to both your blog, and your reply.
"As a Christian, I think it is a good thing anytime we are working for the "least of these"."
"...could it be the Holy Spirit leading Bono and Geldoff (among others)?" (BIG amen to that!)
I always enjoy reading your blog, and today is certainly no exception.
Becky is right on the money.
LIVE 8 was unique in that it was not about raising money but creating pressure in the form of ...well the last number I saw was 25 million...I'll have to check today.
We "Christians" forget that Gospel itself is viral and applies to every continent. It is trans-historical and trans-cultural.
To the Cynics...what is the fucking alternative? Let a continent die? Let 30,000 a day die until they are all dead?
So easy to "critique" from your nice living room and watching on MTV.
No. Real pressure is being exerted on the wealthiest of nations who will find it hard to pass through the eye of a needle when that day comes.
To "the least of these you did it to Me". Jesus is Africa right now. You wanna follow Jesus? Wanna know Him? Go there.
(sory I'm a little pissy abt Rickinva. I do not think he did his homework...like it wasn't about MONEY....grrrr).
My sister Well Woman triggered memories for me, standing on a stretch of highway in Perrysburg, OH on the Hands Across America deal. It was amazing...
And I understand RickInVa's gentle cynicism - after all, after a hundred bazillion choruses of "Do They Know It's Christmas?" the plight of Africa is still desperate, and farmers are not particularly better off than they were after the first FarmAid concert. It would be easy to throw up one's hands...
But I also think that the likelihood of failure is not a reason to take no action. In a way, it reminds me of Nicky Gumbel's comments about "healing prayer" - "When we prayed for no one, no one got healed. When we prayed for everyone, some people got healed, and some people didn't."
In my humble opinion, if there is even the tiniest diminishing of ignorance about what the G-8 countries can do about these issues, then the hype and the money and all the carnivale surrounding Live-8 will have been worth it.
The tragic part is that not one national church body stepped up and addressed the issue. Live-8 may have been big business and big news at arenas around the world. But over at the houses with the crosses on the rooftops, it was BAU - business as usual.
Maybe we can get Sir Bob and Bono one of those $30 internet ordinations...bet there's some people who'd pay to worship at THAT church...
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