MATCHSTICK kids with wide eyes and bloated football bellies engaged the attention, not for the first time, of Bob Geldof and Bono.

The conversation took place a few months back, 19 years after Bob's Live Aid and the pop world's Feed the World plea.

"Still Africa's *expletive* dying," scowled Geldof, whose charity millions had paled before a still-crippled continent.

"Africa," said Bono, "needs religion. Nothing'll change without it."

"Yep," shrugged non-religious Bob, "I'm *expletive* beginning to think you're right."

This conversation came to mind the day before yesterday when the BBC premiered the pop world's reworking of the old Geldof record, hopefully to help Children in Need.

They're after more millions because nobody's yet found the rest of the answer - introducing Africa and its morals to God.

And for all our wealth, we're no different. We throw millions at deprived areas.

My church is involved in one of the millions being spent as we work alongside Sure Start to give massively deprived kids a surer start in their first four years. But it's only a part answer.

Billions more go to fight anti-social behaviour, litterlouts, drugs and drop-outs, as the vast, almighty Government chequebook tries so desperately to replace in society what once came so naturally from God and morals and religion.

Why is it taking us, church as well as state, so long to recognise this?