Preach it Brother Bono!

They may not be at the front of the line for U2 concert tickets, but a crowd of mostly evangelical pastors was wowed by the band's frontman and all around do-gooder, Bono. Just as he had won over former U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms, Bono earned the admiration of 350 Triangle pastors Friday during a teleconference beamed in to Hope Community Church in Raleigh, N.C.

The rock musician struck a chord, declaring that no one can enter God's kingdom if they do not serve the poor. "The main thrust of the Scriptures is to meet Christ in working with the poor," he said.

Bono was interviewed by megachurch pastor Bill Hybels in a Dublin hotel near the singer's home earlier this year. In the interview, he spoke of a trip he made to Ethiopia in 1985 that opened his eyes to hunger and poverty, and eventually to AIDS. It was a passionate talk by the rock-star-turned-humanitarian, who has championed causes such as poverty, AIDS and debt relief to struggling nations.

"Christ won't let you walk away because it's difficult, expensive and a moral hazard," Bono said, speaking of the AIDS epidemic.

Bono's activism on the world stage earned him the honor of Time magazine's Person of the Year last year. But the source of his activism lies with his faith. Bono quoted Scripture liberally such as the passage in the fourth chapter of Luke's Gospel where Jesus preached of freeing the oppressed and reaching out to the poor. Then he counseled church leaders to think strategically. "What's in the way of getting things done?" he asked pastors to consider, adding later, "The world is more malleable than you think. You can wrestle it from fools."


by Yonat ShimronMcClatchy Newspapers