Bono: "God is in the Slums"

Photo-Source: http://webpages.scu.edu

This statement was part of a speech Bono made at the 2006 National Prayer Breakfast.  It was used in yesterday's Just Living meeting, as a prayer to conclude our biblical exploration of Amos, the Old Testament prophet who, over 2,500 years ago, was God's voice calling for justice.

“God is in the slums, in the cardboard boxes where the poor play house. God is in the silence of a mother who has infected her child with a virus that will end both their lives. God is in the cries heard under the rubble of war. God is in the debris of wasted opportunity and lives, and God is with us if we are with them.”- Bono

Bono's speech, dubbed a sermon by many, was delivered on February 2, 2006 at the Washington DC Hilton, by activist and rock star Bono, to the 51st annual National Prayer Breakfast, attended by President George Bush and hundreds of national leaders. Bono is an energetic, non-partisan AIDS and anti-poverty activist who focuses his crusade on Africa. His remarks at the 2006 National Prayer Breakfast have been widely acclaimed as a uniquely powerful blend of faith and the mission of governments. 

You can read the rest of his speech at this 2006 event here.

- Submitted by Gareth