A conversation I had yesterday with Sanctus Real’s drummer Mark Graalman got me thinking. I was interviewing Mark in regard to the band’s support and involvement with African Leadership and the Mocha Club, two social justice organizations doing significant work to help the poor of Africa and also train up indigenous leaders to see to the continent’s future. Sanctus Real is a band known for their example in this area, and I was more than happy to hear about their process, all of which was above board and exemplary, of course.

What struck me was when Mark mentioned how early in their career, they were encouraged by publicists and label people to pick a social justice group to get behind. Again, this is a positive thing, not something I’m bemoaning, although I’m sure there are cases where motives are questionable. Not the case here. But I couldn’t help noticing that our wealth of possessions and opportunities in this country is so great, that selecting a mission organization has come to be a part of a band’s promotional package. This wasn’t the case a few years ago, but it’s probably the unforeseen residue of the efforts of Bono and others to raise our social consciousness. Like Mark said, it’s ridiculous to think about not supporting the work in Africa.

I heard the other night during the game that a 30 second Super Bowl commercial went for nearly 3 million dollars. The only way that kind of obscenity comes anywhere close to a reasonable rationality is if a portion of it goes in the same direction: toward helping the poor. Maybe we should be praying that the consciousness-raising movement spread into the public marketplace, where the really big dollars end up. If Sanctus Real can get teenagers to give up two mocha drinks a month to help the poor in Africa, I wonder if we could get network television to follow suit….. Hey, a girl can dream, right?

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