Connected with the needs of the world

13th July 2020 was the 35th anniversary of something unique. A year before I was born. 

Live Aid was a benefit concert held on Saturday 13th July 1985, as well as an ongoing music-based fundraising initiative. The event was organised by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise funds for relief of the ongoing Ethiopian famine. 

Held at Wembley Stadium, London with 72,000 people, and John F. Kennedy Stadium, Philadelphia with 89,400 people. 

The 1985 Live Aid concert was a follow-on to the successful charity single "Do They Know It’s Christmas?” In October 1984, images of hundreds of thousands of people starving to death in Ethiopia shown in the UK in Michael Buerk’s BBC News report on the 1984 famine. 

This led to one of the most successful concerts in history with performers such as Status Quo, Adam Ant, Paul Young, Queen, The Who, U2, David Bowie, Elton John, Paul McCartney, and many more. What a fantastic lineup and that was only the UK! 

Phil Collins appeared at both concerts thanks to being able to fly Concorde. 

One billion viewers in 110 countries watched the live broadcast thanks to thirteen satellites. £40 million raised and the world was united! People were connected. 

The main act was Queen and performed for 21 minutes. The performance was incredible and Freddie owned the stage and the song Radio Ga Ga with 72,000 people raising their hands looked amazing. It was that good it felt like I was even there. Queen at first wasn’t going to perform, but after 21 minutes of pure entertainment the donations went up and Elton John was up next knowing he had to follow that and he said thanks or words to that affect. 

Freddie Mercury & Brian May preformed a song called ‘Is This The World We Created?

Is this the world we created?

What did we do it for

Is this the world we invaded

Against the law

So it seems in the end

Is this what we're all living for today

The world that we created

You know that everyday a helpless child is born

Who needs some loving care inside a happy home

Somewhere a wealthy man is sitting on his throne

Waiting for life to go by

This was 35 years ago. But still they is so much need in the world. Have we learnt and is this the world we created?

The most vulnerable counties in the world are affected after Covid-19.

Almost 2,500 children admitted to hospitals in England suffering malnutrition in 2020. 

People at the beginning of the lockdown saying how much it’s nice to hear the birds, but the roads have soon become busy again. Have we learnt in a world God created?

Is this the world we created?

We made it all our own

Is this the world we devastated, right to the bone

If there's a God in the sky looking down

What can he think of what we've done

To the world that he created

I think God also wants us to reconnect with the reality of the world. To be connected with the most vulnerable. 

Like the song ‘Radio Ga Ga’ says ‘Not to be some background noise’. I think theirs some truth in that. For we are called to be instruments of change. For our music of love is to be played so that the most vulnerable can hear. To speak out.

Jesus reminds us that when we welcome the stranger we did it for him.

35 years ago people stepped out and made a difference. And as a living temple of God, we are called to do the same. 

We thank you, God, that you are a creator God who created the world through love. So may we return that love to speak up for your people and not to be some background noise. Amen.