One More Bit About Bono.....Why It Matters

James 2:18 (NIV) But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds."Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. 19You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
Hebrews 11:6 (NIV) And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
2 Corinthians 11:13-15 (NIV)
13For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. 14And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.

There are three main points here:
1. Good works or belief in God do not qualify as faith
2. We can't please God without faith
3. We have to be careful that we are not deceived

Bono is doing something incredible through the ONE organization and DATA. He is uniting the political voice of the people to move policymakers in the US. He is uniting the world's wealthiest and most influential leaders - secular and Christian. He has also entered into partnerships with 161+ of the world's " leading non-profit, advocacy and humanitarian organizations." * He is doing all this as a call to continue Christ's proclamation of jubilee, further charity, justice and to end "stupid poverty". Bono says, "A friend of mine, is a very wise man, somebody I’ve grown up with, he just says to me, He said ‘Stop asking God to bless what you are doing Bono, find out what God is doing because it’s already blessed.’” **

If God is not behind it and if Bono is falsely marching under the banner of doing God's will, then he is the most dangerous man on the planet.

If God is behind what ONE.org and DATA are trying to do, then it is the most important social movement of our time, perhaps all time. We as Christians should be compelled to promote and participate in it. If Bono is a follower of Jesus Christ, a true Christian, then we can safely join in with the email campaigns and promote ONE to everyone we know and beyond.

Food For Thought:

"Hybels told Christianity Today about his impression of the rock star: "After a two-hour private meeting in my office, I came away convinced that Bono's faith is genuine, his vision to relieve the tragic suffering in Africa is God-honoring, and his prophetic challenge to the U.S. church must be taken seriously." ***

"I'm a believer," Bono usually says when asked about his faith. "I don't set myself up as any kind of 'Christian,' " he said as his gleaming silver and chrome tour bus motored east from Lincoln, Nebraska, to Iowa City. "I can't live up to that. It's something I aspire to, but I don't feel comfortable with that badge."
It's no denial of Christ. And Bono is not trying to play hide-and-seek with his Christianity. He wants to avoid becoming an idealized poster-child for Christ when people should be looking to the Savior, not some rock star, for their example.
A few days later at Northeast Christian Church in suburban Louisville, Kentucky, he told reporters: "I'm not a very good advertisement for God. I generally don't wear that badge on my lapel. But it certainly is written on the inside, somewhere."
It's a self-deprecation, something he's fond of indulging in, whether the subject is his faith or his success as a musician." ***

* http://one.org/partners/
** http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grBByc7t3Fs&feature=related
*** Bono's American Prayer "The world's biggest rock star tours the heartland, talking more openly about his faith as he recruits Christians in the fight against AIDS in Africa." Cathleen Falsani http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2003/march/2.38.html?start=2

For a list of the issues that ONE addresses click: http://one.org/issues/