U2Soar
War Child
It's been busy Fall for Bono regarding faith and the Church!
A wonderful little interview with Bono the day after the 46664 Concert which capsulates many aspects of faith in action. Bono committed to a prayer life (?the Bible is my bedside reading); choosing to develop a conscience true to faith (?I can?t stand injustice?); to become genuinely aware of the situation (?saw with my own eyes? and educating himself ?believe me, I know my stuff?); going forth with confidence (?I just represent the voice of those without one? / ?they?re the ones who should be intimidated!? / ?looking them in the eye?); utilizing his gifts (?Celebrity - I realize that it?s good currency. I?m happy to use mine for good reasons?) engaged in authentic action (?I?d find a way to do something? i.e. DATA addresses the changing of the structures of the injustice rather than merely remaining on the ?surface of things? - the limitations of ?charity?); he may have difficulties with his own membership in any particular Church but he still supports his children (?I take my kids to Mass?); and he is committed to building their awareness of injustice (?I?m going to take my daughters Jordan and Eve to Africa very soon?).
Bono Goes to War Against AIDS (excerpts) - Dany Jucaud - Paris Match magazine - 12/4/03
Paris Match: You have faith. How do you know God exists?
Bono: The Bible is my bedside reading. That said, I?ve always thought the important thing was not to know if I believe in God or not, but to know if God believes in me.
PM: Where does the rosary you wear around your neck come from? (Note: He has worn it publicly ever since he received it in 1999)
Bono: The Pope gave it to me on my last visit. As a trade, I gave him my sunglasses.
Bono: The person who has affected me the most is the archbishop, Desmond Tutu. He is inhabited by the Gospel. Tutu?s got the laugh which for me is the real evidence of liberty.
PM: You could content yourself with giving money, signing a petition. Why did you launch into a battle like this?
Bono: I can?t stand injustice. There?s an emergency in the world. It is completely unacceptable that in Europe and America we have drugs that cost almost nothing to make, and there are hundreds of thousands of children and parents who die every day because we aren?t sharing those drugs. History will judge us harshly, and so will our children, and God even more.
PM: Do you remember the exact moment you said: I?ve got to do something?
Bono: After [Live Aid] I spent a month with my wife working in refugee camps in Ethiopia. I saw with my own eyes for the first time the ravages of famine and I?ve never gotten over it. I promised myself that one day I?d find a way to do something. Celebrity is ridiculous, but I realize that it?s good currency. I?m happy to use mine for good reasons.
Bono: (Note: answering as to whether he is intimated by world leaders) I don?t go see these people in my name, I just represent the voice of those without one. I go to bed every night with reports from the World Bank. Believe me, I know my stuff. No President, French or American, has ever intimidated me. Far from it, they?re the ones who should be intimidated! [laughs, then turns serious] It?s the people in power who one day, will have to give an account. I can read it in their eyes, some of them, the first time they see me. ?Who?s this weirdo, where?s this guy from anyway?? Being an exotic animal is an advantage; they give you access -- until they regret it. The most important thing is looking them in the eye.
Bono: I take my kids to Mass, but when it?s too boring, I?m embarrassed, because I don?t want them to think going to sleep in church is the normal thing. One day, one of the priests talked about football in his sermon and I saw stars in their eyes.
Bono: I?m going to take my daughters Jordan and Eve to Africa very soon. I want to shape them, gently, to be aware of the world. For the moment, I want my daughters to see how the Devil has done his best work. As my friend Bob Geldof says, AIDS is a medical problem, but people are dying because of a political problem.
A wonderful little interview with Bono the day after the 46664 Concert which capsulates many aspects of faith in action. Bono committed to a prayer life (?the Bible is my bedside reading); choosing to develop a conscience true to faith (?I can?t stand injustice?); to become genuinely aware of the situation (?saw with my own eyes? and educating himself ?believe me, I know my stuff?); going forth with confidence (?I just represent the voice of those without one? / ?they?re the ones who should be intimidated!? / ?looking them in the eye?); utilizing his gifts (?Celebrity - I realize that it?s good currency. I?m happy to use mine for good reasons?) engaged in authentic action (?I?d find a way to do something? i.e. DATA addresses the changing of the structures of the injustice rather than merely remaining on the ?surface of things? - the limitations of ?charity?); he may have difficulties with his own membership in any particular Church but he still supports his children (?I take my kids to Mass?); and he is committed to building their awareness of injustice (?I?m going to take my daughters Jordan and Eve to Africa very soon?).
Bono Goes to War Against AIDS (excerpts) - Dany Jucaud - Paris Match magazine - 12/4/03
Paris Match: You have faith. How do you know God exists?
Bono: The Bible is my bedside reading. That said, I?ve always thought the important thing was not to know if I believe in God or not, but to know if God believes in me.
PM: Where does the rosary you wear around your neck come from? (Note: He has worn it publicly ever since he received it in 1999)
Bono: The Pope gave it to me on my last visit. As a trade, I gave him my sunglasses.
Bono: The person who has affected me the most is the archbishop, Desmond Tutu. He is inhabited by the Gospel. Tutu?s got the laugh which for me is the real evidence of liberty.
PM: You could content yourself with giving money, signing a petition. Why did you launch into a battle like this?
Bono: I can?t stand injustice. There?s an emergency in the world. It is completely unacceptable that in Europe and America we have drugs that cost almost nothing to make, and there are hundreds of thousands of children and parents who die every day because we aren?t sharing those drugs. History will judge us harshly, and so will our children, and God even more.
PM: Do you remember the exact moment you said: I?ve got to do something?
Bono: After [Live Aid] I spent a month with my wife working in refugee camps in Ethiopia. I saw with my own eyes for the first time the ravages of famine and I?ve never gotten over it. I promised myself that one day I?d find a way to do something. Celebrity is ridiculous, but I realize that it?s good currency. I?m happy to use mine for good reasons.
Bono: (Note: answering as to whether he is intimated by world leaders) I don?t go see these people in my name, I just represent the voice of those without one. I go to bed every night with reports from the World Bank. Believe me, I know my stuff. No President, French or American, has ever intimidated me. Far from it, they?re the ones who should be intimidated! [laughs, then turns serious] It?s the people in power who one day, will have to give an account. I can read it in their eyes, some of them, the first time they see me. ?Who?s this weirdo, where?s this guy from anyway?? Being an exotic animal is an advantage; they give you access -- until they regret it. The most important thing is looking them in the eye.
Bono: I take my kids to Mass, but when it?s too boring, I?m embarrassed, because I don?t want them to think going to sleep in church is the normal thing. One day, one of the priests talked about football in his sermon and I saw stars in their eyes.
Bono: I?m going to take my daughters Jordan and Eve to Africa very soon. I want to shape them, gently, to be aware of the world. For the moment, I want my daughters to see how the Devil has done his best work. As my friend Bob Geldof says, AIDS is a medical problem, but people are dying because of a political problem.