A Natural Alliance - New York Times

Interesting piece by David Brooks on the way the fight to end extreme poverty has bred new alliances that cross old American "culture war" boundaries. Excerpt: I recently went to a U2 concert in Philadelphia with a group of evangelicals who have been working with Bono to fight AIDS and poverty in Africa. A few years ago, U2 took a tour of the heartland [sic], stopping off at places like Wheaton College and the megachurch at Willow Creek to urge evangelicals to get involved in Africa. They've responded with alacrity, and now Bono, who is a serious if nonsectarian Christian, is at the nexus of a vast alliance between socially conservative evangelicals and socially liberal N.G.O.'s.... The world is suddenly crowded with people like Rick Warren and Bono who are trying to step out of the logic of the culture war so they can accomplish more in the poverty war. Hat tip to Holly, ONE Campaign Organizing Fellow with Bread for the World, at Hunger for Justice. I only later found out that Christianity Today also blogged about this under the rubric "What Doth Bono Have To Do With Rick Warren?" (although their piece unfortunately helps spread the misconception that the Africa segment in Vertigo concerts is a request for donations "to the band's hunger-relief charity" -- a "charity" which, of course, doesn't even exist.) The Grenzian, who read the same CT piece, adds that Rick Warren talked about U2 recently at a Purpose-Driven Church conference.