On the Move by Bono

As many of you know, I have always had a heart for Africa and have spent countless hours reading and learning more about this continent. I, however, have never been so moved by anything written about Africa as I was when I read "On the Move" by Bono of U2. Not only is Bono one of my all time favorite musical artists, but I admire the work he has done in the name of social justice and the faith he displays. Bono also has a huge heart for Africa and has done so many amazing things as a result!

"On the Move" is a short book which includes his speech from the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington DC in 2006. The book is filled with amazing photos taken while he travelled in Ethiopia.

I certainly cannot explain to you here the magnitude of some of the statements Bono makes in this speech. In his speech, Bono calls for unity among people of all faiths, and all genders, and all races and sexual preferences to intervene where God is moving, "...The one thing on which we can all agree, among all faiths and ideologies is that God is with the vulnerable and the poor...God is in the slums, in the cardboard boxes where the poor play house...God is in the debris of wasted opportunity and lives, and God is with us if we are with them..."

One thing I really lke about this speech is that it's not just a guilt trip telling us all the places where we are too selfish or too materialistic or too "american" (although I will be the first to admit that I am all these things sometimes), but it focuses on what has been done, and what is in our power to still do if we seek God's heart and love the things God loves.

Although it's difficult to choose the most powerful line in this speech, for me it was "Stop asking God to bless what you're doing. Get involved in what God is doing--because it's already blessed." When I read this line, I literally had to just stop and sit for a minute.

As a youth leader, and simply as a person, it's so easy to get caught up in making sure I am seeking God's plan, when sometimes all I have to do is look in front of me and see all the ways he is moving in my life and in my relationships and in the world around me.

I know this is a long-winded entry, but I hope you won't take my word for it, but you will check out this book for yourself! (You can get it for $5 at Barnes and Nobles, and even cheaper online!) Thanks for sharing in my passion and in my life and I encourage you to keep looking for God's movement in your life!